


bringers of balance

by auburnrose



Category: DreamSMP - Fandom, Mianite - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Minecraft - Fandom
Genre: 2020 L'Manberg Election on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Canon Divergent, Crossover, DreamSMP - Freeform, Everyone Needs A Hug, Family Dynamics, Fluff and Angst, L'Manberg | L'Manburg on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Light Angst, Minecraft, Possession, Post-Manberg Festival on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Realm of Mianite, War, also dream team are homiesexuals your honor, the alignments to the gods are less distinct but theyre there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:28:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 59,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auburnrose/pseuds/auburnrose
Summary: with the mianitian isles lost to the darkness that's overtaken them, jordan leaves, falling into a world where he's known only as a legend. the dream smp - a world that's been thrown into chaos as a result of shifting political powers.the captain realizes two things immediately: that dream, guardian of the realm, holds more secrets than what lies beneath his mask and that no realm, not even the dream smp, is safe from the twisted grip of darkness.-aka captainsparklez joins the smp after tommy and wilbur are exiled
Comments: 375
Kudos: 427





	1. Chapter 1

_It wasn't supposed to end like this_ she told him, panic trickling into her voice. And he saw, as if for the first time, what the goddess of balance has been keeping from him. He could see the pure, undiluted _fear_ that wracked every shaky breath she took, that lurked in her too rigid posture and stiff movements. It was all too apparent in the tightness of the lines in her face, lines that were normally so much softer, creased in joy. Something greater than even the gods has doomed them all to a fate less desirable than death. A future where they had no say in their own actions, no semblance of autonomy, no freedom to make their own decisions. The future of the isles, really, wasn't a future at all.

 _What is it?_ he asked her, pushing at their mental connecting, prying into her mind. _What don't you want me to see?_

“My dear captain, I can't-” she whispered, taking a step back, as if distancing herself from her champion would dissuade him.

“M'lady, you said it yourself,” said Jordan firmly, voice echoing strangely across the empty isles, the once proud structures now reduced to rubble. “You know better than I do that _all of this_ -'' he paused, gesturing at their surroundings “-is coming to an end. Let. Me. See.”

For a moment they stood there in silence, goddess and hero holding unbreaking eye contact, two not-quite human entities refusing to surrender to the others’ demands. The wind whistled as it tumbled through the ruins where the trial house used to stand proudly. Time had not been a friend of the isles. The captain’s rigid, unyielding posture matched her own, his eyes burning with an all too familiar intensity that she was certain was reflected in her own gaze. Another moment passed and Ianite felt the gentlest of prods through their connection. _Please, m’lady_. 

With a small sigh, the goddess' shoulders slumped and she looked down at the ground, breaking eye contact. _Be careful, captain._ She let down her mental barriers.

-

Immediately, Jordan felt as if someone had pulled the very ground he stood on out from under his feet as he was thrown into a different dimension. Blurs of colors passed by at lightning speeds, twisting into people and scenes from the future, dissolving and reforming into something else as soon as he tried to get a good look. A cacophony of sound filled his ears, the product of millions of future conversations happening all at once, each one begging for his attention. But with all the chaos and turmoil, he had an intense feeling of _wrongness_ , as if some greater hand had taken a hold of the fate of the isles and twisted it into their own fucked up version of the world. This future held no balance, no justice, no _freedom_. Jordan wasn’t supposed to know this. His mortal soul wasn’t supposed to see this. And his mind became acutely aware of these facts.

Jordan felt nausea and pain overtake him, his brain attempting to process the overwhelming amount of information. The very molecules of his being were vibrating faster and faster as his mind kicked into overdrive, physical body heating up, _burning._ Too loud, too fast, too hot _. Too much._ Was he screaming? He couldn’t tell anymore. 

As quickly as the pain came, it stopped. The world stopped spinning, raucous noise fading to nothing, and the captain had the odd, but comforting sensation of being wrapped in a warm blanket - Ianite’s blessing, the goddess' own power shielding his mortal soul from combusting and disintegrating into nothingness. The pleasant feeling didn’t last long, and he felt a sharp tug as he was pulled back to reality, feet slamming back into the hard earth, body shifting into high gear as it tried to recover from whatever the hell had just happened. His lungs were begging for oxygen, vision swimming and limbs burning as his mind was reconciled with physical form again.

“I can't - future,” he gasped out, and there were tears streaming down his face as his mortal form accustomed itself with their current dimension. “There was no balance in that future,” Jordan continued, breathing heavily, ignoring his body screaming in pain. “Ianite - I _can't_ \- it'll _kill_ me.” His goddess was quiet for a long while as she chose her next words carefully, the eerie silence broken only by the captain’s labored breathing.

“I don’t want to go through this alone if I don’t have to,” she began, noting how her champion’s grip on his bow tightened ever so slightly at her words. “That being said, my wishes are irrelevant to the whims of the universe”.

“It's time for me to leave,” Jordan said in a firm voice, refusing to let it shake. He was loyal to his lady to a fault but his very soul was tied to balance. There was a disruption in another realm. He'd been aware of it before today, but now he felt it even more so. The sheer amount of unfairness, injustice, and something strange - _someone_ strange. Someone like him. Dramatic shifts from too much order to too much chaos, a realm stuck in the eternal, deadly cycle of war, a war that would tear the realm apart and leave a gaping hole in the cosmos. He wanted to fix it. He _needed_ to fix it. But for that to happen, Jordan had to leave.

“Will I still have your blessing?” he asked, voice steely. Ianite didn’t meet his eyes.

“Tom and Karl have made their choices,” he pressed on, his voice beginning to raise in desperation. “There’s nothing left here for me, m’lady, _nothing_. I need to know if I'll still have your blessing if I leave.” 

Jordan had to know, had to understand exactly what he was giving up if he walked away from her now. Because his first instinct was to _stay_ , to help the goddess he'd been loyal to for so long. If she confirmed what he was thinking - _please don’t be true please don’t be true -_ he knew he'd want to cave to that first instinct. But he had to hear it from her.

“I think you know the answer, captain,” she said quietly, looking down at her folded hands with a sad smile. Her expression pierced his heart harder than any well aimed crossbow bolt ever could. “My powers are not infinite.”

“I have to go,” he whispered, not trusting his voice not to break. “M’lady…” his voice faltered.

“I know.”

Ianite wrapped her champion in one last hug and he stepped into the portal, casting one final look at the isles that once held so much joy, so much _life_. And as he fell through the void, the void that feels as familiar as an old friend, he felt Ianite’s blessing disappear. The warm blanket of lilac light that once wrapped around him like the softest cloud, protecting him from that which was infinitely larger and dangerous, disintegrated. The comforting closeness began to suffocate him, burning his skin and choking the air from his lungs. Blinding light filled his vision as the very aura of a god that had protected him for so long withdrew itself from his soul.

And much too quickly, it was gone. He felt empty, vulnerable, a shell of his former self. Was he still Ianite's champion? Had he just sentenced his goddess to death by choosing to leave? Jordan didn’t know the answers to his questions. He wasn’t sure he wanted to.

Fortunately, he wasn’t given much time to linger on these thoughts as a window of light grew larger and larger. _This was the realm. This was it._ Jordan landed roughly (some things never changed) and squinted at the sudden brightness. He could feel the imbalance of the new world thrumming through the ground. _But where do I even begin?_

A sudden whisper in his ear accompanied by a lilac scented breeze sent a chill down his spine, but Jordan smiled wistfully at the sound of Ianite’s voice. _That’s one question answered,_ he thought _now what the hell is a Dream?_


	2. Chapter 2

Fortunately for the captain, he’d fallen into the world in the early morning, giving him plenty of time to collect resources and get somewhat settled before night time. Not that he  _ wouldn’t  _ be able to handle a few angry mobs, but swords were terribly more efficient and substantially  _ cleaner  _ than his fists. He’d spawned in a plains biome - not ideal due to its lack of cover - but he could spot an oak forest not too far off. The sun was bright against the brilliant blue of the sky and Jordan found himself smiling as he made his way over to the treeline. 

In another time he may have found the beginning process tedious, cutting down trees and replanting saplings, crafting simple tools of wood and stone, but today the familiar actions provided a sort of relief. By midday he’d made good progress - he had plenty of wood and cobblestone, collected a decent amount of food, and upgraded all of his tools to stone. It wasn’t the lightest of work so he took a quick break to rest and refuel before entering a nearby cave system, in hope of securing iron. Entering the cave without a partner or two would be intimidating for someone less experienced, but the captain was used to it. 

Really, Jordan was used to being alone. With only his thoughts as company, he was used to finding solace in the little joys in life - a warm patch of sunshine, a glimpse of a fiery sunset through the trees - because gods know he could never find that solace in other people. He’d borne the burden of loneliness for so long that he now found comfort in its weight, almost relying on its steadfast certainty. This world will be no different, he thinks. 

The captain let his thoughts drift to a different time, a different world, as they usually did when there’s nothing more pressing to steal his attention away. Once, he could recall even the most insignificant of details from the worlds he’d been in. His memory was unfailing, inhuman in its capacity and accuracy - not that he was entirely human to begin with. But now things were blurrier. It'd been so long since he’d set foot in some of those worlds, so long since he’s even been  _ asked _ about them. Eventually people stopped caring about the past. No one wanted to hear the stories where the hero doesn’t win. 

Jordan cursed as he swung his pickaxe awkwardly, its contact with the stone jarring his right shoulder and hurtling him back into the present.  _ Damnit. _ He took it as a sign to start paying more attention to the task at hand, no use in dwelling on things he couldn’t fix. He needed to focus on finding this Dream person.  _ That’s odd, _ he thought, massaging his aching shoulder. He could hear the woman's voice whispering  _ Dream _ into his ear, but  _ who was she?  _ The voice was achingly familiar but he couldn’t put a name to it for life nor money. It was as if someone had written an important message in the sand only for it to be washed away by the incoming tide. Except the message was her name and the sand was his brain and her name was  _ gone. _

She was important to him, he knew that much. The woman was a constant presence in most of the worlds he’d been in, and the wash of feelings that accompanied those memories of her indicated that she wasn’t just someone. She was  _ his lady. That felt right _ . The captain shook his head at himself and turned back to mining yet again. He could dwell on those thoughts later, but first he needed to worry about surviving the night.

As luck would have it, the cave system was quite extensive and Jordan found plenty of iron that put him on track to upgrade his tools and craft some armor within the next few days. He fell into a familiar rhythm once he pushed all of his distracting thoughts to the back of his mind, relishing in the hard work. His muscles strained and back ached as he mined for hours, the slight soreness and exertion having an odd, yet much needed grounding effect. Come dusk, Jordan made his way out of the cave to a clearing in the forest through which a small creek burbled happily. 

The clearing was an ideal place to spend the night, so Jordan circled the area, methodically placing down torches to prevent mobs from spawning. He only had to deal with one particularly nasty spider which he felled with a few well placed swings of his stone sword. The spider dropped some string which Jordan carefully tucked away - it’d be perfect for the bow he was planning on crafting. With the surrounding area well lit, Jordan headed back to the clearing and built a small campfire, then began to cook some dinner.    


As the scent of sizzling meat filled the air, he let out a small sigh of contentment and leaned back on his pack, taking the opportunity to gaze at the spattering of stars he could see through the canopy of trees. It was moments like these that the captain lived for, where he could just relax and take in the enormity of the world. The moment didn’t last long.

A small  _ thump _ and a flurried rustling of leaves to his left had the captain on his feet with his sword drawn in an instant, eyes flashing in the firelight. 

“Who’s there?” he demanded, eyes flicking from treetop to treetop. No one answered, but he saw a shower of purple particles cascade from a tall oak tree.  _ They ender pearled. Curious. _

The silence was only punctured by the crackle of the fire and distant  _ hoot _ of an owl. Sword still raised, Jordan cautiously made his way over to the object that fell from the tree. A compass. He picked it up and inspected it, its glass face glinting when it caught the light.  _ Strange _ . The compass didn’t point north. Jordan set it back down and walked around it in a circle, keeping his eyes on the needle. Sure enough, the needle wavered for a moment then slowly swung back and forth, identical to his movements. He’d seen this kind of magic before, but it didn’t make this whole thing any less unsettling. 

Jordan pocketed the damned thing and made his way back to the fire, this time sitting with his back to a tree.  _ Who’s tracking me? And more importantly, why?  _ He let himself drift off into an uneasy sleep, hand still gripping his sword.  _ This can be a problem for tomorrow. _

-

“George, you  _ idiot _ ” hissed Sapnap, punching his friend in the shoulder as soon as the trio was far away enough from the clearing that they wouldn't be heard.

“It’s not my fault! You were the one who said we should get that close in the first place” George protested “Back me up on this, Dream.”

They’d been following the man - the “captain” as Dream had said - from a distance since he’d first arrived in their realm. George and Sapnap didn’t know why he was important. Dream refused to tell. George’s mistake had almost revealed their position but Dream was well prepared for any mishaps, gripping both of his friends’ arms and pearling them away before they could be seen.

The man in question let out a sigh and pushed his characteristic mask to the side, tiredly rubbing his face with one hand. “Yes, Sapnap made a bad call but  _ you _ dropped the compass, George. Either way, if he didn’t know we were tracking him already, he definitely does now”

George and Sapnap exchanged a confused look “What do you mean  _ if he didn’t already know?”  _ asks George slowly. Dream didn’t answer. George tries again.

“We’ve been completely hidden, up until I dropped the compass back there-” Sapnap snickers at that. George tells him to shut up. “- how could he possibly know we’re following him?” Dream doesn’t answer again, just moves the mask back into its original place, concealing his expression. 

“Ok, but did you see his eyes? They’re weirrrrd, dude” Sapnap interjects, drawing out the ‘r’.

George looked confused. “What do you mean? They looked normal to me.”

“They didn’t look purple to you when they caught the light?” Sapnap asks, frowning. “Nevermind, I forgot - of course they wouldn’t look any different to  _ you _ . But Dream, you saw that too, right?”

“I did” he replies simply, but doesn’t elaborate. The mask hides his expression from the others, but he rests his chin in his hand, thumb tracing his bottom lip pensively. George and Sapnap exchange a look. Dream is hiding something. The three sit in silence for a moment until Dream lets out a sigh and rakes a hand through his dirty blond hair. “I’ll explain...soon” he relents “- just not right now.” Dream rifles through his pack and tosses another compass to George who fumbles the catch, but doesn’t drop it.

“You,” he says sternly, pointing a finger at George “Don’t lose this one. And  _ both _ of you,” he adds, his eyebrow quirking up as he rifles through his bag again “Stay hidden.” He produces a second ender pearl and raises two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute, before disappearing in a shower of purple particles. 

“Drama queen” Sapnap mutters, but there’s no venom behind his words. He shifts, getting more comfortable on the tree branch he’s sitting on, George mirroring his action. They sit in a comfortable silence waiting for morning to come, waiting for  _ Dream  _ to tell them what their next movements will be.

-

Dream, as it were, was headed back to the captain’s campsite. The captain’s arrival had sent a  _ shock _ through the former’s system, the very realm telling him  _ this one’s important _ . Dream didn’t fully understand his strange connection to his world. He’d tried describing it to the others as a kind of sixth sense, an innate feeling that alerted him whenever something significant occurred. The connection even let him manipulate the very mechanics of the world, but he only used that for emergencies, preferring to rely on his own skills and experience the majority of the time. 

Dream was always alerted of strangers to the realm, but this one felt  _ different.  _ He’d woken up that morning with a jolt, a woman’s voice urgently whispering  _ the captain _ in his ear. The realm had never supplied him with a newcomer’s identity, which was strange in itself. To add to the already bizarre situation, there was the matter of this guy’s very aura - Dream couldn’t get a solid read on it. It felt like the moment before a storm breaks, dangerously calm and poised, electrified until all hell breaks loose. The captain’s presence felt like a threat. So Dream had roused George and Sapnap, shooting them a meaningful look that left their complaints dying in their throats, and they had trekked away into the wilderness. 

The ender pearl had teleported Dream a majority of the way back to the campsite, but he still had a decent amount of ground to cover. He made his way through the treetops with ease, feet barely finding purchase on one branch before he was springing silently to the next. He made it back to the clearing in no time, perching silently in the tree the trio had been in not too long ago. The captain was asleep, back to a tree and sword loose in his grip, his campfire reduced to glowing embers. Dream let out the smallest of sighs and shifted, getting as comfortable as he could in the nook between two branches. He leaned back and let his body relax, but kept a sharp eye on the sleeping stranger. As morning light began to break through the leaves, the captain began to stir. Dream took that as his cue to leave and loped off through the trees, as silently as he came. 

-

Morning dawned bright and early for Jordan, but the fact that he was still alive cheered him up immensely.  _ Nothing screams welcome like a couple of hunters tracking your every movement _ he thought, moving to make some breakfast with the remnants of last night’s fire. All things considered, he was doing pretty well. A few more days and he’d be geared up to his satisfaction for someone without a permanent place to live. And the fact that whoever had dropped the compass last night hadn’t come back to slit his throat was reassuring. Sure, he’d be on higher alert from here on out, but the hunter -  _ hunters? _ \- didn’t seem like a huge threat, given that they hadn’t killed him at the first chance they got. 

After eating, Jordan stretched and kicked dirt over the campfire, removing any trace that he’d ever stayed in the clearing. Whoever was following him already knew his exact location, but he didn’t want any more uninvited guests on his trail. Jordan fell into an easy rhythm over the next few days, focusing on collecting more resources. He got enough iron that he could upgrade all of his tools and craft a decent set of armor - the latter wasn’t entirely necessary but he appreciated the extra protection nonetheless. He also made sure to collect the resources to craft a decent supply of arrows for when he could eventually acquire a bow, the latter always being his preferred weapon of choice.

The hunters grew more casual in their stealth as the days wore on, and Jordan almost found himself enjoying the company, neck no longer crawling with the feeling that his every move was being watched. He  _ was _ being watched, of course, but more often than not, Jordan could catch glimpses of green, white, and blue in the dense forest canopy, or hear sprinkles of laughter that were always followed by even less conspicuous shushing noises. With the amount of noise they made, he figured out that there were three of them, which still didn’t faze him. The captain had faced less favorable odds and still managed to win, and at this point in time, the hunters didn’t seem particularly threatening. 

He was, however, getting increasingly curious as to their motives. He’d noticed that each night as he made to sleep, one of them would silently approach wherever he’d set up camp and take up watch, the only indication of their presence a dark silhouette perched in the trees. Jordan was dying to interact with them but he wanted the hunters to come to him of their own accord. And so he waited, spending each day getting a little stronger, a little more prepared.

Almost two weeks had gone by before the hunters finally decided to approach the captain. The day had started out like any other - Jordan rose at the crack of dawn and made breakfast with the last of the campfire, removed any sign that he’d spent the night, and went on his way. He managed to find another extensive cave system that held an abandoned mineshaft where he collected valuable ores that would be useful for trading in any villages that he found. He also managed to kill enough spiders that he  _ finally  _ had enough string to craft a bow, which is exactly what he began to work on when he got back to his campsite at the end of the day. 

Jordan’s usual campfire danced merrily, sending sparks dancing into the night as he concentrated on the task at hand. The weapon was essentially finished - all he needed to do was string it with the spider string he’d been saving. His fingers moved quickly, deftly securing the string first to the upper limb of the bow, then the bottom. As he sat by the fire, running his hands over the finished bow to make sure he was satisfied by the tautness of the string and flex of its limbs, a flash of white in the corner of his eye caught his attention. It appeared the hunters had grown tired of their games.

Jordan blinked as he took in the sudden appearance of the lone hunter and mentally shrugged, turning his gaze back to the task at hand, thoughts racing.  _ This was the presence I could feel back on the isles. This must be Dream. _ The hunter was wearing a green sweatshirt and dark pants that helped him blend into the forest canopy, but the most curious part of his appearance was the mask. The round mask covered most of the hunter’s face, its crudely drawn black smiley face in sharp contrast to the white porcelain that practically  _ glowed _ in the firelight. The captain chose to ignore the figure perched in the trees and instead turned his focus to his arrows, removing each projectile one-by-one from his quiver. 

With movements that were unnaturally quiet, the hunter leapt down from the tree, landing lightly on his feet and approached the fire slowly. Jordan tensed ever so slightly as he made note of the diamond axe on the other's back, but continued laying out his arrows.  _ This one’s definitely the ringleader, he wouldn’t have approached me without having reinforcements.  _ Jordan didn’t pause in his motions, now running a finger over his arrow tips to check their points, but he strained his ears, trying to pick up on any noise that would indicate the masked hunter had brought backup. Sure enough, he could hear creaking and rustling in the branches that was much too loud for small animals to be making. 

"You know," the masked man began casually, taking a seat on the opposite side of the fire "crossbows are much more powerful."

One of Jordan's eyebrows quirked up in surprise, but he kept his gaze on his arrows. The hunter sounded so  _ young.  _ "I'm more familiar with a bow" Jordan replied simply, gathering the arrows back into the quiver.

"Axes do more damage too," the hunter adds with a crooked grin, leaning back on his hands. Jordan looked up at that, making what he hoped was eye contact with the masked man. 

"I've had more practice with swords" he said carefully, setting his quiver to the side. "I've also had practice dealing with strangers who make too much of a habit of stalking me"

The hunter let out a wheezing laugh that took Jordan by surprise. "Let me take this opportunity to remind you that  _ you're _ the stranger in  _ my _ land. I need to know how much of a  _ threat  _ you are to my people,” the hunter paused, considering his next words “ _ \- captain" _

Jordan frowned at the title, and Dream caught that same flash of purple flicker through his eyes again. “I don’t know what game you’re playing here,  _ Dream" _ the hunter flinched, his crooked smile fading, evidently taken off guard. “But I think it’s time for us to have a little chat. And you can tell your friends to come down from the trees. I know they're up there. Wouldn't want a repeat with the compass, huh?”

Dream cocked his head at the captain, analyzing the situation for a moment before shrugging his shoulders “Yeah, they can be real idiots sometimes.” With a sheepish grin, he brought two fingers to his mouth to produce a single sharp whistle. Jordan heard a muffled  _ shit _ and two bodies descended from the canopy much quicker, albeit less gracefully, than Dream had.

The hunter in blue scrambled to his feet first holding a loaded crossbow at the ready, white glasses on his head knocked askew. His partner in black and white mirrored the same offensive stance, diamond axe and shield poised for attack. Jordan raised an eyebrow, glancing between the masked hunter and his companions.

“Calm down, guys” said Dream with a small chuckle, beckoning the two over to the fire “We’re just talking. Now captain,” he paused, letting the other hunters get comfortable. “Where shall we begin?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the boys are back in town and good god they're really fun to write  
> shoutout to the lovely SeleneJessabelle12626 for making sure this was coherent, ily <3


	3. Chapter 3

“So are you  _ actually _ a captain or do you just have some kind of weird god complex thing going on?”

Jordan just stared at the black haired hunter while his friends dissolved into laughter. “What the  _ hell _ \-  _ Sapnap” _ Dream wheezed, gasping for air “out of  _ everything _ you could have asked,  _ that’s _ what you decided on?” his voice incredulous.

“Oh c’mon Dream. Since you asked us to help you tail him-” George’s eyes widened and he shot a concerned look at the captain, but the latter’s face betrayed nothing, no evident reaction to Sapnap openly admitting that the followers were tracking him. “-it's been captain this, captain that. But fine if that’s a stupid question, I’ll ask another - how old are you?” 

“Well, time changes from dimension to dimension but I'm probably a few thousand years old by human standards, give or take a couple hundred” said Jordan casually, maintaining his mask of indifference. George, who was sitting next to Dream across the fire from the captain, and Sapnap, who sat nearby, were stunned into silence, trying to figure out if he was actually telling the truth or just messing with them. Dream, however, cocked his head in curiosity, thoughts racing. As crazy as it sounded, he didn’t think the captain was lying to them. 

He could believe it based on the way the captain had come into the world, orienting and establishing himself with what could only be described as ease. Dream could see the years of experience in the way the man explored the depths of the world  _ alone _ with no apparent fear, in the way he  _ exuded  _ confidence with every swing of his sword, the weapon becoming a mere extension of his limbs. 

He could see the years in the creases that lined the captain’s face, in the depth of his brown eyes that seemed to hold endless memories and long forgotten stories of passed, yet still burned with a fire that refused to be put out. He could see it in the slump of the captain’s shoulders, decades of suppressed pain and conflict, immeasurable loss physically weighing him down. The captain was a fighter who refused to yield. And he was much older than anyone in the realm.

_ Maybe that's part of the reason his aura is so different from everyone else, he's just that much older, that much more travelled, seen way more than anyone else in the smp.  _ But there was still something else to his presence that Dream couldn't quite put a finger on. He had a sneaking suspicion that  _ something _ was the precise reason the captain was in their world in the first place.

George broke the silence. “ So where are you  _ actually  _ from?”

“Another world.” Jordan replied simply.

“And were you a captain in said world?” asked Sapanp, ignoring the exasperated look George was giving him. 

“No, but I was in a different one.” George and Sapnap went quiet at that, shooting each other nervous looks.  _ Who was this guy?  _ Dream, who had been sitting silently since Sapnap had broken the ice, sat forward with a frown that his mask didn’t fully conceal, steepling his fingers together.

“How many?” he asked, voice low.

“Pardon?” asked Jordan, expression carefully neutral.

“How many worlds?” Dream asked again in the same low voice, a hint of urgency seeping into the words.

“I’ve lost count,” the captain answered honestly, shrugging his shoulders in an attempt to shake how uncomfortable this conversation was making him. He wasn’t an idiot - he knew he’d have to spill some of his secrets in exchange for more information about this new world, but he wasn’t going to part with it too willingly. 

Dream opened his mouth to ask another question but Jordan cut him off “Look, before we get too far along with this, I feel like I at least deserve to know who you are, I’d rather not have to keep referring to you guys based on the color of your shirts.”

Dreams eyes narrowed under his mask. So this was how they were going to play. Cat and mouse, information for information. “George,” he said quickly, gesturing to the hunter in blue “and Sapnap. You already know who I am.” The captain raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded to the two hunters. 

“Dream isn’t a name,” he noted. 

“It’s not. Captain isn’t a name either.” Dream shot back. 

“It’s not.” Jordan agreed, his quiet composure beginning to irk Dream more and more. 

“Why are you  _ here? _ ” the masked hunter pushed, hand unconsciously drifting closer to the axe strapped to his back..

“Why are you following me?” Jordan fired back calm as ever, refusing to give the other the satisfaction of knowing he was slightly intimidated.

Dream exhaled loudly and raked a frustrated hand through his hair. “Put yourself in my shoes for a moment,  _ captain _ . My land and people are being torn apart by a war that refuses to end. All of a sudden, some millenia old stranger shows up, a stranger that the realm deems important enough to give me your name.” Jordan’s mouth parted in confusion but the masked hunter ignored him and kept talking. 

“I’ve seen the way you carry yourself, I’ve seen your level of skill. That doesn't come from a single lifetime. Every ounce of common sense I have is screaming at me that you’re dangerous, that you’re a  _ threat _ . Now I don’t mind that _ if  _ you’re on  _ my  _ side, but I have a lot of people in this world that I care about and I’ll be  _ damned _ if I let some stranger take them away from me. There are  _ children _ fighting in a war with hopeless odds and I can't fucking deal with more shit on my plate. I need to know whether or not I can trust you before I let you in on all of the workings of this realm. Understand?” 

Dream sat forward, elbows propped on his knees, the black eyes of his mask somehow glaring daggers at the captain. George and Sapnap were uncharacteristically silent after Dream’s outburst, glancing nervously between their friend and the captain. There was some weird power play going on and neither of them wanted to get involved. 

Jordan let out a sigh of his own and chose his next words very carefully. “I’ve been nothing but honest with you guys. Can I guarantee that you can trust me? No - but I think you already knew that” he added, noting the frowns he received from the hunters. “But I’ll humor you and tell you what you want to know. You just have to start asking the right questions.” 

“Who are you  _ really _ , captain?” asked Dream, cocking his head, the unnerving blank stare of the mask giving Jordan zero indication of what the other man was thinking.

“First off, my name is actually Jordan, but captain is fine” he started, mouth quirking up at the corners. “I’ve lived a lot of lives in a lot of different places, so you’re going to have to forgive me if I forget anything or misspeak. But the world I most recently came from - we’ll call it the isles just for kicks - was a sort of parallel universe to a land to one I lived in a long time ago. I know this doesn’t seem important, but it really is.”

“Three gods watched over those realms,” he continued, a small smile gracing his features as he retold the familiar story. “They were only fledgling gods in the isles, but they were the same as the old world, just younger. They each had champions, heroes who embodied what each of the gods stood for - order, chaos, and  _ balance _ " Dream's frown deepened slightly, making note of how the captain's voice caught on the last word.

“You’re the champion of a  _ god _ ” the masked hunter said slowly, his voice surprisingly level.

“I was.”

“And you’re not anymore?” broke in George, the captain’s word choice clearly not lost on him.

Jordan winced but answered nonetheless. “I’m not sure-”

“Bro, how do you  _ not know? _ I feel like losing a god’s favor would be pretty obvious” interrupted Sapnap. The captain’s face fell at that and Dream shot the hunter a warning look.  _ Go easy on him.  _ “Sorry cap,” Sapnap backtracked “that was too forward.”

“No, it’s a fair question,” Jordan sighed. “Just let me get there first. Anyways-”  _ This part is going to be hard.  _ “You’re not  _ just _ the champion of a god. It’s more than following them, more than saying you’ll fight for them and what they stand for. It’s faith and it’s trust and  _ devotion _ . It’s continuing to believe in them even when the rest of the world is telling you not to, that they’re too weak to help you. And if you can do all that and manage to prove yourself, you  _ might  _ get their blessing.” 

The captain paused and looked up, the three hunters staring back at him with intense, unflinching gazes. 

“Yours was the god of balance” states Dream matter of factly, chin now resting in his hand.

“Goddess” Jordan said a little too quickly in realization, seeing another frown flit across the masked hunter’s face.  _ That’s who the woman was. My lady. _

“ _ Goddess _ of balance, then” the blond corrected himself. “That’s why you’re here” 

Jordan stared at Dream, slightly unnerved by how quickly he caught on, how much he seemed to just  _ know. _

“Yes and no,” he replied carefully. “Balance is in my nature, that’s why I became -” his mind blanked, still refusing to give him his goddess’ name “- m’lady’s champion. That’s how I’ve stayed alive for so long, that’s how I knew  _ your _ name. But _ your _ realm, this world was practically screaming to me. Even just  _ standing  _ here, I can feel the imbalance coursing through it, and I couldn’t ignore it.” Jordan paused again, feeling oddly vulnerable, but continued. 

“In the last world, there was a...kind of  _ darkness _ that came to the isles. It ran rampant, destroying and corrupting everything that laid in its path, including the future. There wasn’t an inkling of balance left and your world was calling out so loudly - I had to leave.” 

He exhaled sharply and turned his face away from the hunters as a memory made its way to the forefront of his mind.

_ “I have to go” he whispered, not trusting his voice not to break. “M’lady…” _

Jordan cleared his throat and turned back to the hunters, only to see George and Sapnap looking at him with a strange look in their eyes, a combination of respect - and was that  _ pity? _ Dream’s expression, of course, was hidden, but his posture seemed more relaxed too.

“Does that answer your question?”

The masked hunter let out a dry laugh and slung a casual arm around George’s shoulders. “What do you say, George? Any more questions, or is it our turn to be interrogated?” 

“Get  _ off _ me, Dream” the brunette in question exclaimed, half-heartedly shrugging his shoulders to shake off his friend. “I’ve heard more than enough, unless Sapnap has anymore stupid questions.”

“Nah, I’m good. I reckon it’s storytime with Dream now” Sapnap said, his voice raising up at the end as he looked to his masked friend for confirmation. 

Dream stared at the captain for a moment then nodded slowly. 

“The smp wasn’t always torn apart by conflict” he started slowly, trying to figure out the best way to explain their world to the captain. “At first it was just me, George, and Sapnap hanging out, slowly building up the place. More and more people joined and the world started to really come together. I was kind of the leader from the beginning, primarily by virtue of being here first but also because of the connection I have with the world.” Dream’s friends nodded in agreement to verify what he was saying, but let him continue talking.

“We didn’t have many rules, just a handful to keep emotions from running to high and prevent conflict from breaking out. Eventually, a group of people decided to break the rules. They formed their own nation within the smp, a place they called L’Manburg. I was against them. A lot… a lot of people painted me as the villain. They thought I was too powerful, that I deserved to be taken down a notch. I wasn’t against a group of people banding together over the same interests. But I was against conflict, and I knew that as soon another nation was formed in the world, fighting would be inevitable. So we fought. And my side won, in a sense.” Dream took a breath before continuing, gaze flitting to Jordan, but the captain's expression refused to betray anything he was thinking.

“We were infinitely more powerful than L’Manburg - armor, weapons, resources,  _ all of it _ . They wanted to fight with words. I engaged and gave them the ultimatum of war. They refused to surrender and we blew their shit to bits” Dream let out a bitter laugh “That still didn’t stop them. We had a duel, the vice president and I. I won. We thought that was it, that everything would finally go back to normal. They were ready to surrender, I’d won the duel fair and square. But then the vice president came to me. He gave up two of his most prized possessions in exchange for L’Manburg’s independence. I -” Dream paused, voice catching “-I couldn’t refuse the offer”

“Who was he?” asked Jordan, voice barely louder than a whisper. “Who was the vice president?”

“ Tommy."  Dream said the name with the reluctant yet unmistakable affection of an older sibling talking about their younger brother. “He was just a kid, captain, only 16. He didn’t know what he was getting into - how big all of this would explode into. It was a fresh start, L’Manburg. An act of rebellion, finally being able to be his own person, be a  _ leader _ . I respected that, and I think you would too, captain, if you were here during the first war.”

“Younger brother?” Jordan asked, brows furrowed.

“No, but as close as he could be without being related.”

“Do you have any siblings by blood, then?”

Dream’s face tightened under his mask. “Yes.” He didn’t elaborate any further and continued with the story.

“Tommy saw Wilbur - the president - as an older brother, a partner, an  _ equal _ . He was loyal to their cause to a fault, he would do  _ anything _ for their little nation. He must have known that L’Manburg didn’t stand a chance against the rest of the smp, but he still agreed to fight, agreed to the duel that he had no hope of winning. And when it all still went south for them he still kept fighting. I could  _ see _ myself in him, captain. I couldn’t say no. I granted them independence.”

“It doesn’t end there, does it?” asked the captain, voice still low. “Something else happened”

Dream nodded, confirming Jordan’s suspicions. “There was...an election of sorts. It was just supposed to legitimize Tommy and Wilbur’s power, a nice little bit of democracy. It didn’t go the way they planned, they lost to this guy called Schlatt, a regular old businessman.”

Dream’s face twisted in disgust under his mask. “ He’s essentially established a dictatorship in the smp, cap. He revoked Tommy and Will’s citizenship, renamed their nation to “Manburg”, and has torn down and destroyed anything that could be associated with L’Manburg. Last I checked, Tommy and Wilbur had established a new nation outside the borders of the smp. It has a stupid name - Pogtopia, I think, but that’s beside the point. Everyone’s taking sides, Jordan, Marburg versus Pogtopia. That’s probably why your balance readings have gone to shit - it’s another war that I don’t know how to fix. I can’t get too involved again - that’s how we got into this mess in the first place, but I can’t let Schlatt’s tyranny continue. I need  _ help _ ” he finished, stressing the last word.

Dream clenched his fists and took a few deep breaths as his friends scooted closer to him, each putting an arm around his shoulders. He felt somewhat uncomfortable after explaining his world to the captain, but kept his focus on his breathing and the strong arms around his shoulders.

“So captain, who’s side are you on?”

Jordan gave the hunters a wry smile because his decision had already been made for him. It had been made for him the first time someone has asked him that question years ago in a different realm. It had been made when he uttered the words “team Ianite” without fully understanding their meaning, but knowing it was the right choice regardless. Jordan did his best to stay neutral, but at the end of the day, justice was the tool that decided whether or not balance could prevail. If that justice could only be found through vengeance, then so be it.

“I’m with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm going to try to update this bad boy at least once a week but pls bear with me cuz school gets busy. anywho, thank you everyone for so many nice comments - they keep the motivation flowing and i love seeing y'alls reactions. next part should have even more familiar characters :) shoutout of course to the lovely SeleneJessabelle12626 for beta reading, idk what i would do without you love


	4. Chapter 4

After Jordan’s admission, the tension around the fire eased substantially, the world almost letting out an audible sigh of relief at the captain’s declaration. He and the hunters fell into a comfortable quiet after that, silently agreeing that they’d spoken enough for the day and any further conversations could wait until tomorrow. 

“I’ll take first watch” Dream muttered before scampering up one of the nearby oak trees, his silhouette quickly lost in the shadows of the treetops. Jordan and the other two hunters made themselves comfortable, the latter two falling asleep almost instantly. The captain, however, stayed awake a long time after that, mind unable to rest easy after such an influx of information. He did fall asleep eventually, but it felt as if no time had passed when Sapnap gently shook him awake to take the last watch until dawn. He ascended the same tree Dream had and shifted around until he found a somewhat comfortable position, leaning his head back against the rough wood. The remainder of the night passed quickly and without any disturbance, save for some wolves howling in the distance. 

As the sun began to peak over the horizon, swathing the world in soft yellow-white light, Jordan sighed and shifted his gaze towards their campsite. The fire had been reduced to mere glowing embers, small wisps of bluish smoke trailing upwards into the forest canopy. The hunters were sprawled out in a pile by the fire, a messy tangle of limbs and packs and weapons. Their casual closeness put a warm smile on Jordan’s face - he remembered the countless nights  _ he  _ and his friends had collapsed exhausted around the fire, huddled together for warmth. But the sun was already on the rise and the group had a lot of ground to cover to make it to the hub of the smp.

Jordan took a moment to stretch and descended lightly from the tree, then picked his way over to the smoking remains of the fire from the night before. He revived it just enough for the group to cook breakfast, his motions waking up the hunters. Sapnap looked decidedly groggy at being woken up so early, George mirroring the same state of tiredness as he blinked blearily at the small fire, swaying a little where he sat. Jordan smiled a little as he busied himself with making breakfast, noting the latter was wearing a jacket that was slightly too big on him. Dream, who was no longer wearing a jacket over his green hoodie, gave Jordan a crooked grin and half shrugged, “What? He was cold.”

The hunters eventually woke up enough to eat breakfast and break down the campsite, George and Sapnap still stifling yawns as they started off. Dream, however, appeared to be perfectly alert, making Jordan wonder if this guy ever actually slept (Dream hadn’t). As they walked through the forest dappled with morning sunlight, the hunters took turns explaining more about the smp, introducing so many other people that Jordan could barely keep track of who was who. 

There was Eret - who was apparently a king of some sorts, Niki - who was very sweet and owned a bakery and was decidedly on Pogtopia’s side, and Quackity who was vice president to Schlatt alongside George, and - Jordan stopped the hunters. 

“Wait, George is  _ vice president  _ to the guy everyone wants dead?” he asked incredulously, hand clenching a little tighter around the bow he held at his side.

All three hunters spoke at the same time, trying to jump to George’s defense.

“Well, when you put it like that-”

“It’s not what it sounds like, I swear, we just -”

“Yeah, we probably should have explained it sooner -”

“Alright, ALRIGHT, GUYS!” Jordan shouted, raising his voice when the hunters kept trying to talk, his eyes glinting dangerously. “I’ll let you explain -  _ one at a time _ \- but you’d better start talking  _ fast” _

“Yes, I’m one of Schlatt’s vice presidents," George started, his accent more pronounced than ever as his eyes darted between the captain’s face and the bow at his side, “but I’m not a spy, I swear on my life.” Jordan’s eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded, letting George continue.

“In the election for L’Manburg, I ran against Tommy and Wilbur - as a joke of course. But my party ended up pooling our votes with another party to win it, and that’s when Schlatt established himself as emperor or whatever. I just kind of got roped into it, but it’s useful to Dream to have a man on the inside.” Jordan frowned, taking in his story, but nodded sharply and let his grip on his bow loosen. George noticed and bit his lip, but otherwise visibly relaxed.

“Any more Schlatt insiders I need to know about?” the captain asked, turning his gaze to the other two hunters. 

Sapnap shifted his weight and reached a hand up to scratch the back of his neck. “Umm, kind of?” 

“Explain. Now.”

“It’s the same kind of deal as Gogy.” Jordan’s stern facade almost broke at the nickname, the corner of his mouth almost twitching up in betrayal. 

“Tommy and I got into a fight about a stupid cow of his that I accidentally killed. We both got backup, but my side got destroyed by Dream, Techno, and Tommy. And by virtue of fighting against Tommy, Schlatt decided to be all buddy buddy. I went along with it. Once again, more info for Dream.”

“Cap,” Dream sighed, reaching up to rake a hand through his hair. “You know how worlds like this work. You mess around, fight over dumb things, make and break alliances, and move on. That’s all that’s going on here, except Schlatt’s power grab made it way less casual. At the end of the day, everyone in the smp is friends with one another, at  _ least _ acquaintances. Schlatt is the only exception, I think. None of us wanted this war, but we have to deal with it now. This is the best scenario, honestly. George and Sapnap can take care of themselves and I trust them with my _ life _ . The more info they give me, the more I  _ know _ , the better chance I have of figuring out how the hell to fix it all.” 

Jordan didn’t say anything immediately, and the group walked in silence while he tried to piece his thoughts together. The hunters - the  _ dream team _ \- he thought with a hidden smile, were unwaveringly loyal to one another. Jordan would be jealous of their camaraderieship if he hadn’t experienced the same kind of thing in the Mianitian worlds. But Dream was right. George and Sapanp could provide incredibly useful information and from what he could tell, they were very capable. As long as they were ok with the risk, Jordan was ok with it too.

“You guys are playing a dangerous game,” the captain finally sighed “but it’s your choice, not mine. I have one question - what happens if you have to fight each other? From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like Schlatt would be the biggest fan of Dream, a feeling that I think is mutual.”

Dream smirked. “Yeah, definitely mutual. But we have no qualms about fighting against each other, besides, George and Sapnap know that I’ll always win.” Jordan nodded and the two hunters in question rolled their eyes, but didn’t deny what their masked friend said.

“While we’re on the topic of sides,” Jordan began slowly "I need to clarify something about what I said last night. I said I’d be on your side, but I want to try to stay out of the actual fighting. I know that I’m not going to be able to stay neutral of course, but this isn’t my war to fight.”

“But you must be here for a reason,” protested Sapnap.

“That’s true,” the captain agreed, looking thoughtful “but I don’t think I’m just here to fight alongside you guys. I think there’s something else.” As much as Schlatt’s tyranny was an issue, Jordan couldn't shake the feeling that something else was up, that something  _ bigger _ had brought him here. He had a sneaking suspicion of what, rather  _ who _ , it could be, but prayed he was wrong, for the sake of this new world.

Dream frowned behind his mask at Jordan’s words, but he agreed. It didn’t add up that the captain had appeared in their realm just because some idiot had gone and established a dictatorship. Jordan was a god’s  _ champion _ for fuck’s sake, and as little as Dream knew about the subject, he didn’t think that heroes of gods jumped from world to world to fight in wars they didn’t care about and settle minor disputes. Thoroughly unnerved, the group fell into silence and continued their trek.

The days began to blur together as the group made their way towards the smp. George and Sapnap would scout out the path, whooping and hollering as they practically flew through the trees. They took turns taking watch each night, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed as they got closer and closer to their destination. And just when Jordan was starting to feel comfortable with their routine, they made it to the smp.

-

For a world seemingly torn apart by war, Jordan thought the smp didn’t look much worse for wear. No one seemed to be around as Dream led the group on an abridged tour of the area. Apparently, BadBoyHalo (who went by Bad) Sapnap had explained, had told people to clear out for the day at Dream’s request. 

“And no one questioned it?” Jordan had asked, somewhat surprised. 

“It’s Dream.” George said simply, and that was that.

They followed the pathways that connected the area together, Dream pointing out landmarks and certain buildings from time to time. They passed several homes and bases, a church of some sorts, several towers, and even an obscenely large castle. The hunters seemed to take the magnificent buildings for granted, but the enormity of the sprawl of the smp astounded Jordan. Not for the first time, the captain found himself shaking his head.  _ What the hell have I gotten myself into? _

The real indication of the war came when the group made their way to the former L’Manburg. Very few decorations remained from the festival that had supposedly taken place recently, none of the hunters with Jordan had attended. The brightly colored balloons seemed to mock how desolate the rest of the area was - once proud structures that had been set ablaze now burned and blacked. Only ruins remained of what the hunters assured him were once formidable blackstone walls, a result of one of Schlatt’s first orders as president of the nation. Jordan shuddered as they stood in silence, the wind whistling eerily through the buildings. The place felt  _ wrong _ .

“Let’s keep moving,” Dream said quietly, turning away from the ruins. This place wasn’t L’Manburg. It was something much worse.

By the middle of the day, Jordan and the hunters had covered most of the smp, and had ended up back at the community house, where the hunters stocked up on food and swapped out their diamond and iron gear in favor of netherite tools and armor stored in a conveniently placed ender chest. The hunters were already intimidating enough with weaker weapons, but now they were positively  _ lethal _ . Dream had been quiet since they’d visited L’Manburg, but back in the building that had started it all, his shoulders seemed to sag with the weight of the world. The group sat on the roof, stopping for a brief lunch break. Dream didn’t touch his food.

“This is where it all started, y’know” he said quietly, sight set on the horizon. “Just me, Sap, and George hanging out. It was so much calmer back then, everything was just,” he sighed heavily “so much  _ easier. _ ”

Jordan was suddenly struck by how  _ young _ the masked hunter was. His friends, too. In such a short time, they’d already seen more than his fair share of war and conflict.  _ Life really isn’t fair  _ he thought bitterly.  _ None of them should have to be going through this. _

“Alright, captain” Dream said suddenly, standing up. “You can make a base anywhere you want in this world but” he paused, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand “I don’t know how receptive people are going to be to a random stranger setting up shop nearby. I’d offer you a spot in my place but it’s not really made for more than one person so -”

Jordan cut him off with a crooked smile “Don’t worry about it, I actually prefer to do my own thing away from the midst of everything, oddly enough.”

Dream nodded and cocked his head, the faraway look in his eyes unreadable behind his mask. “I’m not going to bring you to Pogtopia yet but I can get you to a kinda neutral area between here and there.” Jordan nodded as Dream continued to speak.

“George, Sapnap, I think this is where we have to split off. I don’t want people knowing the captain’s here before absolutely necessary, so it’s best to keep his base a secret. Plus we’ve been gone a long time, and I don’t want people getting suspicious.”

“What do you want us to tell them?” George asked, chewing on his thumbnail.

“Just tell them it’s personal business, they’ll understand.” The hunters nodded - sometimes Dream’s reputation for being a mysterious bastard was actually useful.

All of sudden, his friends pulled him into a tight hug. “Stay safe, ok?” George asked, voice low with a hint of urgency.

“And if  _ anything  _ goes wrong, just call us and we'll be right there” added Sapnap.

“Always, Gogy” Dream replied with a crooked grin, hugging them back. “And you know I will Sap.” Jordan looked away from the trio, a smile flitting across his face when George and Sapnap didn’t release Dream from the hug and the latter began to complain.

“Get  _ off  _ me guys!” When George and Sapnap  _ still  _ refused to let go, wearing matching shit-eating grins, Dream forcibly shoved them off. 

“Fuck  _ off,  _ I’m a _ grown ass _ man and you guys are fussing like mother hens. It’s so endearing I’m going to  _ vomit”  _ he complained, but there was no venom behind Dream’s words, a goofy grin adorning his visible features. 

“C’mon Gogy,” said Sapnap, taking the other’s glasses and putting them on his own head. “Let’s go set some shit on fire or something.” With that, he threw an arm around George’s shoulders and the two raised their hands in mock solute to Jordan and Dream, mischievous smiles and laughter trailing behind them as they headed back to their base. Dream watched his friends depart, shaking his head with a fond smile.

“Alright cap, follow me” he said quietly, and the two set off in the opposite direction George and Sapnap had taken.

-

Dream and Jordan travel in an amicable silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they made their way back into the wilderness. Gone were the unique structures and winding pathways of the smp, replaced by hills and mountains that faded into a rather dense spruce forest. Jordan was struck by how quiet it was, and how the towering trees of the forest felt so  _ familiar.  _ He did his best to remember the path they took, but knew it’d only be memorized once he actually had the time to explore the world on his own terms. As they got deeper into the forest, Dream was on high alert, shield on one arm and netherite axe held ready in his other hand. When they eventually came to a small clearing, Jordan suddenly stopped, a small  _ oh _ escaping his mouth. 

Dream whirled around with his shield raised in defense, but lowered it slowly with a questioning look before turning his gaze to what Jordan was looking at. It was nowhere near the scale of the original Jerry’s Tree, or even the second version in the realm of Mianite, but the ancient tree stretched taller than the rest of the forest, like a god among mortals. 

There was a faraway look in the captain’s eyes, a small, sad smile adorning his features. It felt like only yesterday, that he’d stumbled through his first world, overwhelmed by the strange biomes and creatures present there, deciding to take refuge in the grandiose trees the world hosted. He could almost feel the rough texture of the oak wood sign he’d made so carefully, burning tears blurring his vision as he’d carved  _ Here lies Jerry. He was a noble slime. May he rest in peace. _ It had only been right to name his home in honor of his first friend in his first world. 

That was then but this was now. This tree was another chance to go back to his roots, something to remind him to keep fighting, something to keep him steady in a strange, chaotic world. This would be his home. 

Dream cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable as Jordan blinked a few times, swiping quickly at his eyes under his red shades. “I know it’s not a lot and I wanted to help you out more because you agreed to help us but the realm told me that this was the best thing to do but if you don’t like it we can - “

“It’s perfect, Dream” Jordan interrupted, letting out a small laugh. “More than perfect, actually, how did you even?” but Dream shook his head with a grin.

“Some secrets are meant to be kept, captain. But I’ll make sure that you’re not disturbed unless absolutely necessary. Anyone who comes near should only be friends of mine, and I’ve done my damndest to make sure Schlatt isn’t aware of your arrival but even if he somehow found out” Dream paused to catch his breath “I’m the only one who actually knows your location which is a secret safe with me and” he kept rambling on and Jordan could only look at the younger male with a fond smile. 

“I’ll be fine, Dream. I’ve done this like five thousand times before, trust me, I’ll be okay. Your friends need you more than me right now, go find them and I’ll get settled in.”

Dream took a moment to look at the captain, really look at him. His eyes were warm and crinkled at the corners, sparkling with what Dream could only describe as excitement, and his hesitance at leaving the captain alone all but faded.  _ He’s done this before, he’s literally the champion of a god, he’ll be just fine.  _

“Good luck then, captain. We’ll be in touch” Dream said with a nod, then raised two fingers to his forehead in mock salute before scaling a tree and disappearing so fast that Jordan would have sworn he’d used an ender pearl, if not for the lack of the telltale purple particles. The captain let out a small sigh, gaze lingering on the spot the masked hunter had disappeared, before turning around to face his new home.

-

It was hard but enjoyable work, carving out his own little home in the towering tree, but there was more than enough room for him and Jordan was finally able to think about everything that had happened over the last few days without having to look over his shoulder for mobs or unfriendly people. The captain was almost reluctant to live this kind of life again - it felt too much like putting down roots in soil that would be torn up so quickly that there’d be no point in doing it in the first place. But he was here for a reason, and even if his stay wasn’t permanent, Dream and the rest of his people deserved his help. 

_ Dream.  _ The kid astounded him. Here was some demigod-type with barely twenty years of life under his belt forced to deal with a war he tried to avoid, trying to protect all that he loved against incredibly unfavorable odds. He was so  _ young _ , even younger than Jordan had been when first claimed by his goddess as her champion. Jordan didn’t want to let him down. But he couldn’t get too involved, that wasn’t his role to play in all of this. But he’d do everything in his power to help the hunter win this godforsaken war. And if that meant putting up with an uncomfortable illusion of permanence, so be it.

After carving out the essential rooms and stairs to make the tree an actual living space, Jordan set up a small shrine to his goddess. It wasn’t much, just a few beeswax candles , some pretty stones, and fresh flowers that he made sure to switch out every day in a small nook that he’d carved into the wall, but it made him happy. He knew all too well what it felt like to be forgotten, and he didn’t want to risk forgetting anything else about his lady. And if he sat in front of the shrine watching the candles burn out at the end of each day, praying fervently to the goddess whose name he couldn’t remember, hoping for an answer but expecting nothing, no one would be any wiser. 

As he spent more time turning his base into a proper home and beginning the painstaking task of collecting more and more resources, Jordan found his thoughts drifting to the imbalance in the realm. It was something he’d learned to block out, but it was always there, thrumming just under the surface of the world. In the Mianitian realms, there was always a clear-cut bad guy, and Jordan could simply fight for the “good” side to restore the balance. The smp was different. Sure, Schlatt seemed like a complete  _ ass _ , but the smp was just a community that had been torn apart and needed to be pieced back together. They couldn’t afford heavy casualties. People tended to praise justice whenever it was in favor of the objectively good side, but they got uncomfortable when it went into the grey area, when fairness was the less desirable option. Jordan had a sneaking suspicion that the smp was already far into that area. 

He of course preferred fighting for the “good” side, but he had to admit that there was sometimes a strange sort of beauty in watching the world burn. Justice and vengeance were closer friends than a lot of people realized. Jordan didn’t want this one to burn. So he threw himself into getting ready for the approaching conflict, and with that, grew to love this new world. 

He wasn’t alone anymore, that much was for sure. Ever so often when he was out collecting resources, he could catch a glimpse or two of the hunters in the trees. Each time, the captain would smile and throw a mock salute into the air before turning back to whatever he was doing. But sometimes he heard voices that were unfamiliar, so he’d scale a tree or head back to his place and shelter there until the strangers were out of his vicinity. 

His home came together pretty quickly all things considered, and to the unassuming eye, no one could tell that he had concealed an entire base in the ancient tree. Jordan was delighted to find that he still carried an extensive knowledge of redstone, so he wired up a simple system to safeguard the entrance to the tree. It only required him to press the right notches of the tree to open it up, but he was always careful to shield exactly where those notches were. The world had turned into a familiar friend, and Jordan didn’t feel lonely anymore, what with the glimpses of the hunters that he was sure Dream sent to check up on him and the humble shrine to his lady that he could confide his hopes and fears to. It was quite nice living in his own little world, but of course, it couldn’t last forever. 

It was a quiet evening, shadows slowly creeping across the world. Jordan had been in the mines all day, finally collecting enough diamonds to craft a decent set of armor the next day. He’d barely sat down after lighting candles for the shrine when he heard violent banging at the entrance of the tree. Jordan shot up, grabbing his diamond sword, and hurried downstairs, the incessant knocking refusing to stop. As soon as he was close enough, he could finally make out someone’s voice yelling.

“CAPTAIN, CAPTAIN, PLEASE ANSWER. WE KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE. WE NEED HELP NOW!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic has been living rent free in my brain (and taking up all my braincells) so have an update! i thought i was going to have certain things go down in this chapter but i underestimated how many words my brain could make and i don't want chapters getting too long. ik this has been a lot of exposition stuff, but i promise, stuff starts getting REAL interesting next chapter 👀 anywho, thanks again maddie for beta reading and being amazing in general <3 also thank you everyone for the comments and kudos and whatnot, they make my day and i love seeing your reactions! next chapter should be up within the week, so keep an eye out for it!


	5. Chapter 5

At the base of the stairs that connected the upper levels to the entrance of the tree, Jordan stopped with his sword poised, trying to calm his rapid heart beat. He honestly would have preferred to have his bow with him, but his sword was the closest weapon to him upstairs and would be better suited for close contact combat if the strangers at his door turned out to be hostile. He didn’t think they were, given how they were shouting for help specifically from him, but it was better to be prepared.  _ What was it that Dream had said? “I’ll make sure that you’re not disturbed unless absolutely necessary.”  _ Jordan snorted and shook his head a little. That hadn’t lasted long. But Dream  _ also  _ said that the only people coming near his base would be friends of the masked hunter. Regardless, the incessant yelling and knocking were beginning to give the captain a headache. With a sigh, he braced himself and kicked the door open, sword raised. 

As it turned out, Jordan didn’t really need to worry about his weapon of choice, given the sorry state of the duo standing on his doorstep. They looked to be teenagers, and Jordan figured the taller blond was the one responsible for all of the yelling and pounding on his door, as he was the only one actually upright. There was a wild, almost  _ feral _ look in the blond’s eyes, his body bruised and bloodied. The kid looked half dead, gasping for breath, and Jordan didn’t know whose blood his armor was covered in. He wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. 

The blond was barely supporting another boy with mousy brown hair in his arms, the latter appearing to be unconscious but also around the blond’s same age. The brunette was worryingly pale, chest barely moving with shallow breaths, an arrow sticking out of the chink in his armor where the chestplate met the shoulder pieces .

“Fucking...  _ finally _ ” the blond gasped as the door opened “Dream told Wil... told me - safe here, you could help. Please - I’ll explain but...you have to _ help us.” _ His arms were shaking with exertion at holding his friend up for so long, his blood spattered, damaged armor only serving to weigh him down further. “Captain,  _ please” _ his voice broke, already hoarse from yelling for help.

Jordan let his sword fall back to his side in shock, trying to process the scene in front of him.  _ This couldn’t be Tommy, could it? This kid’s way too young, right?  _ Just as he opened his mouth to say something,  _ anything _ to reassure the teenager, a sudden flash of teal caught his eye. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but he could just barely make out a figure perched in a nearby tree. 

For a moment he thought it was Dream, but the person - the  _ girl-  _ Jordan realized, was much smaller in build. Her long, dirty blonde hair was pulled into a messy side braid and Jordan made note of the two netherite axes strapped to her back. She cocked her head, and the white mask identical to Dream’s that hid her face almost glowed in the light coming from Jordan’s open door. The stranger nodded towards the boys.  _ Take care of them,  _ the nod seemed to say. Jordan gave her an almost imperceptible nod back and she raised two fingers to her forehead in a mock salute. Then she was gone, the only indication of her departure a small sparkle of purple particles. 

“Oy, I know the Dream siblings are all dramatic and shit but my mate is getting heavy and I need to know if we’re safe here or not, big man.” Jordan sighed again - he seemed to do that more often than not when he was around people younger than him- but he beckoned the sorry duo inside.

-

“I’m Tommy.” 

“I’d figured as much,” responded Jordan, grunting as he slid two large planks into place over the door, effectively barricading it from the inside. He checked the door latch and gave the redstone a quick once over, nodding with satisfaction before turning to face Tommy. The teen in question was leaning heavily on the staircase railing, his friend’s body sagging dangerously close to the floor. 

“Here, let me” started Jordan, moving forward to help support the blond’s unconscious friend.

A flicker of panic passed over Tommy’s face and he tightened his grip on his companion. “No - no, I’ve got him, it’s alright.”

“You’re half dead on your feet, kid, I just want to help you out. Let me take him, I promise I won’t hurt your friend.”

“Tubbo,” Tommy corrected quickly “his name is Tubbo.”

“Tubbo,” Jordan agreed, moving slowly forward again, approaching him like one would approach a skittish animal. “Can I?” he asked in a low voice, making direct eye contact with the teenager. Tommy’s bright blue eyes were shining with terror and desperation, but he bit his lip and nodded quickly. 

Jordan carefully extracted Tubbo from Tommy’s grip and gathered the smaller boy into his arms, making sure his head was well supported. Jordan was struck by how light Tubbo was, even with a full set of iron. The boy looked so much  _ smaller _ in his arms, his limp body not dissimilar to a child’s rag doll that had been cast aside. 

“Are you ok to walk on your own?” he asked Tommy with a piercing gaze, shifting slightly where he stood.

“Yeah” he breathed out “Yeah, I’m good.” 

Jordan raised an eyebrow at the way Tommy swayed a little on his feet, but said nothing about it. “Follow me and I’ll get you lot cleaned up, but once that’s done, I expect an explanation”

Tommy nodded tiredly and trailed behind the captain slowly as they made their way up the spiraling stairs that had been painstakingly carved out of the tree. For as secretive as it was, the captain’s base was incredibly welcoming. Evenly placed lanterns coupled with the raw wood of the interior of the tree gave the whole place a warm, cozy atmosphere, and Tommy felt himself beginning to relax. 

They passed the second level of the tree which was sparsely decorated and kept mostly open, an array of weapons hanging on one of the walls - for training - Jordan had explained to Tommy. When they made it to the third level, Jordan silently thanked himself for having the foresight to set up an infirmary type guest room. A row of beds lined one of the walls, while stacks of chests of first aid equipment, brewing stands, cauldrons, and bookshelves decorated the others. 

He set Tubbo down gently on the nearest bed and began rifling through the chests, pulling out all of the supplies he needed. “Take a seat wherever you’d like” Jordan called to Tommy, washing and drying his hands before making his way back to Tubbo. Tommy sat on the bed next to the one where Tubbo was lying, staring unblinkingly at his friend. 

“I’ll help you get cleaned up in a minute but I want to get Tubbo stable first. Drink this,” Jordan directed, handing the teen a potion of healing. “It should hold you over for the moment.” Tommy took the glowing red bottle and downed it’s contents in one gulp, shuddering at the taste. He let out a sigh and dropped his head into his hands, watching the captain move about between his fingertips. 

Jordan removed Tubbo’s helmet gently, propping the latter’s head up on a pillow. His fingers made quick work of the leather straps keeping the boy’s armor on, gingerly removing the armor pieces close to the arrow wound. He exhaled heavily, swallowing down the panic welling up in his chest at the prospect of removing the arrow. It was something he’d done plenty of times before, but it wasn’t something Jordan ever liked doing, especially with someone as young as Tubbo. 

Jordan’s face twisted in concentration as he snapped the shaft of the arrow off, extracted the arrowhead (which fortunately hadn’t gone too deep) with the aid of a small knife, and put pressure on the gaping wound it left with one hand. With his free hand, he grabbed another healing potion and uncorked it with his teeth, then tilted the bottle over the wound, the potion sizzling unpleasantly as it met the torn flesh. Jordan bit his lip and reached for gauze that had been dipped in more healing potion, dressed the wound, and finished with a set of fresh, dry bandages. Tubbo’s breathing was still shallow but a little color had returned to his face, the healing potion quickly working it’s magic. The teen still had plenty of minor wounds that would eventually need attending to, but Jordan didn’t want to deal with them when the boy was still in such a fragile state.

“He’s responding well to the potion, I think he’s going to be ok” said Jordan, breaking the silence, moving away from Tubbo’s side. Tommy let an audible sigh and rubbed at his face, sniffing a little. 

“Your turn now.” Tommy nodded and fumbled with the straps of his own armor, his shaking hands scrabbling uselessly at the leather. Jordan reached out and stilled the younger boy’s hands. “Here, let me do it,” he offered quietly. Tommy nodded again, averting his eyes as the captain helped him to shed the extra layer of protection. Jordan placed the battered armor into a pile as quietly as possible, doing his best not to disturb Tubbo’s rest with any loud noises. 

“Close your eyes” he said, reaching for a damp cloth. Tommy complied and Jordan gently wiped away the dried blood and caked on dirt from the younger’s face, making note of the deeper cuts that would need his attention. He pretended not to notice the clean tear trails that cut through the grime as he cleaned up the kid, reaching instead for more healing pots and cotton balls. “This is going to sting a little,” the captain warned, beginning to dab at Tommy’s numerous cuts. Sure enough, the blond winced in pain when the potion made contact with particularly deep gashes, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

“So tell me,” Jordan started conversationally, finishing bandaging a deep gash on Tommy’s arm where a stray arrow had grazed him “what  _ happened _ to you two? It looks like you were dragged halfway through hell and back”

Tommy let out a dark chuckle “Your powers of observation are absolutely  _ astounding _ , big man.”

“Or don’t tell me, that works too.”

“No no, captain, I never implied that I wouldn’t tell you what happened, I was just commenting on your-” Jordan stared at Tommy with one unimpressed eyebrow raised as the teen kept rambling, words tumbling over each other as he made points and backtracked, leaping forward again only to double back to his original point. He jumped from commenting on the captain’s base to Dream’s tendency to be a complete  _ arse _ , back to Jordan’s age only to add  _ another  _ comment about people older than him, essentially getting the conversation absolutely nowhere.

“This is all very interesting” Jordan interrupted with an exasperated sigh, “but I can’t help you any further unless you actually tell me what happened to you and Tubbo. You sing a pretty tune Tommy, but if you don’t start talking, you’ll be singing that tune on the way out my door.” Jordan crossed his arms and looked at Tommy expectantly, the latter’s face turning serious at the underlying threat thinly veiled in the captain’s words.

“We were ambushed,” Tommy began quietly, clearing his throat a few times. “Wil, Tubbo, and I - we were just taking a shortcut through the smp on the way back to Pogtopia. Some of Schlatt’s cronies caught sight of us and it got ugly. We had to split up, but Wilbur told us to find your place if things went to shit. I’m pretty sure Wil made it back to Pogtopia, but Tubbo and I got separated as soon as we made it into the forest. I managed to loop back and find him before he passed out from the pain…” Tommy’s voice faltered “I dunno which  _ bastard  _ landed that arrow, but he’s going to fucking regret that.” he finished fiercely, blue eyes ablaze. 

Jordan exhaled heavily, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. “Well I can’t guarantee that something like this won’t happen again, but I  _ can _ guarantee that you’ll have another person fighting on your side next time conflict breaks out.”

“Are you sure about that, captain?” Tommy asked in a low voice, meeting Jordan’s eyes with a level gaze. “I’ve heard that line before, and both times ended in betrayal and my best friend getting hurt, so I apologize if I’m unwilling to trust a complete stranger.”

“You came to my base when you needed help,” Jordan reminded him, not breaking eye contact. 

“Yeah, but only because Wil told me to.”

“And who told Wilbur that my base was a safe place, that it even existed in the first place?”

“Dream,” Tommy muttered.

“You don’t like him.”

“No, no it’s not like that. He’s just...it’s difficult to trust him, alright?”

“It doesn’t always have to be you and Tubbo against the world.” Jordan said quietly. Tommy flinched back like Jordan had struck him, but he didn’t say anything. 

Jordan sighed. “I know it’s what you’re used to, kid. War is a messy thing and it makes trusting people even harder than usual, that’s why the two of you are so close. But this war has escalated into something much bigger than I think you realize.”

“I’m not a  _ child _ ” Tommy fired back, scowling.

_ Yes, you are, and you’re acting like one right now _ Jordan wanted to say, but he just sighed again and rubbed his temples. 

“Whatever you thought this war was about - Schlatt, L’Manburg - that’s wrong. There’s something else waiting to rear its ugly head while we’re all playing politics. Dream probably wouldn’t want you knowing this but I don’t know how else to get it into your head. The champion of a god doesn’t get summoned to different realms just to play mediator for a handful of people who don’t know how to get along with one another. You’re a smart kid, Tommy, but you’re going to need to start trusting more people if you want to make it out of this alive.” He didn’t want to make Tommy paranoid and Jordan didn’t love playing the “champion of a god” card, but the teenager was too stubborn for his own good and Jordan was tired.

Tommy’s shoulders slumped forward and the two sat in silence for a moment, Jordan wondering if he’d overdone it. 

“I’ll work on it, captain” Tommy said quietly, all of the fight leaving his body. “Just promise me one thing,” he added suddenly, looking up at Jordan with blazing eyes. “Promise me you’ll protect Tubbo.”

Jordan’s heart broke a little for Tommy in that moment, but he nodded. “I promise.” Tommy nodded and exhaled heavily, swaying a little on the bed he was sat on.

“Get some sleep kid, you look exhausted. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Tubbo, I’ll let you know if anything major changes.” Tommy nodded and all but collapsed on the bed he was sat on. 

Jordan crept out of the room, dimming the lanterns as he left. He made his way up to the fourth floor where his own bedroom was, walking out onto the small balcony that looked out over the forest. He looked up at the starry night sky, shaking his head at all of the events that had occurred that day. These kids were so  _ young _ , and Jordan despised the fact that they were being forced to live through this hellish war. He sat out there late into the night, alone with only his thoughts as company. When his eyes were almost too heavy to keep open, he retired to bed with only one thought on his mind.  _ Whoever’s trying to rip this world apart is going to regret it _ . 

-

Jordan made sure to wake up early the next day to prepare breakfast for the boys, figuring they'd be hungry after the events of the previous nights. As much as healing potions helped, they really did a number on mortal bodies and he knew the teens would be out of commission for the next few days. When he entered the hybrid guest room-infirmary, Tommy was already sitting upright in bed, head turned towards Tubbo who still appeared to be sleeping. 

"I brought you some breakfast," Jordan said in a hushed voice, bringing a tray piled high with fresh fruit and bread over to Tommy's bed. He then retrieved two potion bottles and more cotton balls from a chest, placing the goods on the table next to Tommy. 

"The bluish one is a sleeping draught - the healing potions are useful but they take a toll on your body if they're being used to heal several wounds. It should help you rest and heal back up, you'll just be down for the count for a few days," Jordan explained as the blond scarfed down food. 

"The red one is just more healing potion, dab it on any of the cuts that are still bothering you with the cotton balls. I'll check and redress the gash on your arm tonight, but let me know if anything starts to get worse, ok?" Tommy nodded gratefully, still doing a number on his breakfast. 

"I'm going to bring Tubbo up to my room so I can get some more work done while keeping an eye on him. He made it through the night with no issue so I'm not as worried anymore, but he's still got a few days of rest before he'll be back to normal," Jordan finished, looking to Tommy for approval. The teenager just shrugged, apparently much more complacent with a full night's rest and a full stomach. 

"Make sure you drink the sleeping potion" Jordan reminded him as he left the room with Tubbo in his arms.

"Yes,  _ mum _ " Tommy shouted after the captain, rolling his eyes, his strange accent coming through much stronger on the last word. Jordan shook his head with a smile but continued up the stairs, depositing Tubbo gently onto his bed when he made it to the top level of the tree. He took a moment to swap out the bandages covering the younger’s arrow wound, giving a small nod of satisfaction at the way it was healing. 

When he was done attending to the last of Tubbo’s injuries, Jordan rifled through one of his many chests, pulling out some paper and a quill, then began to make a list of all the things he needed to do coupled with the resources he needed to collect soon. It wasn’t an extensive list by any means, but it would require more trips into the nether if he wanted to keep his stash of healing supplies well stocked. 

By midmorning, Jordan was satisfied with his to-do list and stood up to stretch, walking over to the balcony to take in the morning sun. The sound of rustling blankets, however, had him back inside in an instant to check on Tubbo. 

“C-captain?” the teen croaked, voice hoarse from sleeping for so long.

“I’m here” Jordan said quickly, moving to help Tubbo sit upright against the bed frame. “Don’t try to talk yet, and drink this,” he directed, guiding a water bottle to the boy’s mouth. Tubbo drank the water greedily, clearing his throat when he’d drained the bottle.

“I said no talking, Tubbo. Let’s try to get some food into you first.” Tubbo nodded and began to pick at the assortment of fruit and bread Jordan had prepared earlier that day. When Jordan was satisfied with the amount of food the teen had eaten, he nodded to Tubbo.  _ You can talk now. _

“Thank you, captain! You are the captain, right? I didn’t think you’d be so  _ old. _ ” 

Jordan snorted, surprised by how chipper this kid was “I am, Tubbo. And I didn’t think you and Tommy would be so young. Yes - he was the one who brought the two of you here” he added quickly, answering the question Tubbo had just opened his mouth to ask. 

“Is there anything you want to know about me? If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this world, it’s that you guys have lots of questions”

Tubbo thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I got enough information from your conversation with Tommy last night. It’s absolutely  _ brilliant _ that you’re the champion of a god, captain!”

"But you were unconscious the whole time we were talking" said Jordan in confusion, a crease appearing between his eyebrows

"My brain works a little differently from others, captain. Don't worry, I remember almost everything you two talked about!" 

Tubbo responded so cheerfully, casually brushing off the topic, that Jordan could only shake his head in disbelief. They lapsed into a comfortable silence after their small exchange and Jordan turned towards his brewing stands, the quiet atmosphere only broken by Tubbo quietly humming to himself. The two passed much of the day like that, Jordan occasionally leaving to check up on Tommy or bring back more supplies to take care of Tubbo’s various cuts and bruises. The younger boy was healing up nicely under Jordan’s attentive care, and he figured that he and Tommy could make their way back to Pogtopia by the end of the week. 

When evening began to set in, Jordan made his way over to the small shrine for his goddess and lit the candles there, just as he had every night before that. Retrieving his bow from where it hung on the wall, he sat down and pulled out a small knife, then began to etch strange symbols into the wood. Tubbo watched his actions with mild interest and chose to break the silence. 

“Could you tell me a story, captain?”

Jordan’s motions stilled “I don’t have any stories to tell, Tubbo.”

“Surely captain, you're positively  _ ancient  _ \- you have to have  _ something _ to share”

The corner of Jordan’s mouth twitched upward as he made eye contact with the boy, Tubbo’s eyes shining in the dim torchlight that lit the room. He looked so  _ eager _ to learn more about the captain that Jordan couldn’t bring himself to refuse the request. With a small sigh, he put down his knife and began to talk about the Mianitian realms, voice only faltering when he reached the topic of his lady.

“What was her name?”

“I don’t remember,” Jordan admitted.

“You will soon, captain.” Tubbo sounded so convinced, looked so sure of himself that Jordan almost believed him.

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug before continuing this story. He told Tubbo everything he could remember about his old friends, their games and pranks, and everything else that was good from the older worlds. That included his lady. He told Tubbo more about her than he’d told anyone - her gifts and favors, her calming presence, and how her trust in her champion seemed to be infinite.

“She sounds nice.”

“She was.”

Tubbo frowned at that. People often disregarded him because he was so much younger than most of the people in the smp, but he noticed things that the others didn’t. Like how when the captain got mad his hand automatically strayed to the bow strapped to his back, eyes narrowing, a ring of violet almost glowing as his eyes flashed. How he would get this wistful little smile when he talked about his lady, never saying her name but always calling her _ my lady _ reverently, treating her with utmost respect. Tubbo saw how the captain’s shoulders would relax but slump with an unseen weight when he reminisced about his past lives, how the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes that crinkled when he smiled didn't match the sadness in his dark brown eyes.

Tubbo noticed and kept track of all of those little things. The captain was hurting. Tubbo wanted to fix that.

“I don’t think she would ever do anything to hurt you, captain” said Tubbo quietly. It was the right thing to say. 

“Thank you, Tubbo,” Jordan replied quietly, head bowed to hide the sudden prick of hot tears in his eyes. Tubbo noticed this too, but said nothing. The teen shifted in his bed, getting ready to sleep. Jordan sat where he was for a long time after that, watching the shrine candles slowly burn themselves out, sending a silent plea to his goddess.  _ Help me protect him, m’lady.  _

-

As soon as Drista had seen that Tommy and Tubbo were safe at the captain’s base, she’d pearled away, heading back to the smp to report on their whereabouts to Dream. As she scaled one of the random towers that Dream had declared as their meeting place, her thoughts drifted back to how  _ broken _ Tommy and Tubbo looked after their fight. She wasn’t as concerned with their injuries since Dream obviously trusted this captain guy, but she was worried that there were only going to be more skirmishes as the war continued. 

In one smooth move, the teen heaved herself over the tower battlements and crossed over to the other side of the tower where her brother sat, a lone figure swinging his feet off the edge. 

“I could hear you coming from miles away” Dream chided her as she sat down beside him. “You need to work on your stealthy approaches.”

“It’s not my fault you have superhuman hearing,” Drista complained, shoving him with one shoulder. He grinned underneath his mask and shook his head.

“They’re safe I assume?” he asked, a tinge of worry underlying his words.

“Yep,” she answered, popping the ‘p’.

Dream let out an audible sigh of relief and pushed his mask to the side, rubbing his face with one hand. “Good.”

“But I have a bone to pick with you, Dream.” He turned to look at his sister with a questioning look, the light from the smp barely making his face visible.

“You need to stop with this whole  _ I’m only in the shadows _ thing and actually pick a side. That side isn’t with Wil.” 

Dream’s green eyes narrowed at that and he frowned “What are you talking about?”

“Wil’s lost it, Clay” Drista started, her brother flinching at the use of his real name. “That whole stunt with rigging the festival with shit tons of tnt? That’s not fucking sane and it wasn’t going to help with anything, I don’t know why the hell you went along with that. If you’re actually serious about ending this war, you have to be fighting on _Tommy’s_ side against Schlatt, not Wilbur’s side. He just wants to see the world burn, and I don’t think either of us want that.”

Dream sighed and raked a hand through his hair “Drista -” he began, but she cut him off. 

“Don’t  _ Drista _ me. This is  _ your _ world, you moron. Take some  _ goddamn _ responsibility for it.” her voice began to shake as it got louder. “Choosing Wil’s side means you’re choosing to fight against me. I don’t know if you saw what Schlatt’s people did to Tubbo and Tommy, but I personally don’t like seeing my friends beaten until they’re within an inch of their miserable lives. That’s what’s going to happen if you don’t straighten your shit out soon.”

Dream looked away, unable to meet his sister’s eyes that were burning with fiery anger. “I’ll-” he sighed, rubbing his hand tiredly over his face again. “I’ll figure something out, I promise. I just need more time.”

Drista looked at him sadly but didn’t regret any of her words. “You have to stop running away from your problems eventually, Clay” she said quietly. He sighed again but didn’t bother responding - she’d already pearled away. 

Dream leaned back on his hands, gazing out over the smp that glowed in stark contrast to the night sky. Drista was right but that only made everything more difficult. He let out a sigh and sat there with his thoughts until the sun began to peak over the horizon.  _ It’s probably time for the captain to see Pogtopia.  _   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story lives rent free in my mind - it's the only thing in my brain tbh - and i hope you enjoyed this update! i've been super excited to write this chapter for a long time, stuff is finally starting to happen! as always, shout out to the lovely maddie for beta reading and thank you everyone for so much support! i love all of you <3


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days passed quickly for Jordan with the company of Tommy and Tubbo. He disposed of their battered armor and crafted a replacement set with the extra iron he had on hand, the antics of the teenagers entertaining him throughout the project. Tommy got tired of sitting around doing nothing very quickly, and made sure his complaints were known to the captain. Tubbo, on the other hand, was more content with the down time and happily passed the time by sharing everything he knew about bees, redstone, and every other topic that had captured his interest. 

Jordan tried to give them as much space as he could outside of attending to their injuries and keeping them well fed, not wanting to be overbearing. But he couldn’t keep himself fom listening to the duo’s conversations that lasted late into the nights, describing all of the builds and pranks they wanted to do together  _ once the war was over _ . Those words never failed to send a pang through Jordan’s heart.  _ They’re only kids. _

It had been just over a week since Tommy and Tubbo had showed up on his doorstep when Jordan woke up to knocking at his door. He stretched as he got out of bed, grabbing his bow and slinging a quiver of arrows over his shoulder. Glancing towards his balcony, Jordan frowned - the sun hadn’t even begun to rise -  _ who the hell would voluntarily be awake this early?  _ His question was soon answered when he made his way downstairs and opened the door to see a familiar masked figure standing there, wearing a set of enchanted netherite armor that glowed softly in the darkness. 

“I figured it’d be better to knock instead of just waltzing in,” Dream said with a crooked grin.

“Do you ever sleep, man?” Jordan asked, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he beckoned to the masked hunter to come inside.

Dream’s smile fell for a moment but he quickly pasted another one on, hoping the other hadn’t noticed. “I’m a busy man, captain.”

“You’re never too busy for sleep” Jordan sighed, adding Dream to the quickly growing list of “people to worry about” in his head. He couldn’t blame the kid for his insomnia - Jordan could remember all too well being lectured by Tom and Karl to  _ “Go the fuck to sleep, mate, you’re no use to us dead on your feet” _ when he got too caught up in his projects  _. _ But he also had the feeling that Dream was the kind of person to ignore his own needs and work himself to death for the people he cared about.

The masked hunter brushed his concern off “I’m fine, Jordan. There are bigger things to worry out, namely two children who are proving to be absolute thorns in my side. Though they’re not very big are they?” Dream added, allowing a grin to cover up just how tired he was. The talk he’d had with his sister the night Tommy and Tubbo had gotten attacked was still fresh in his mind, and it had affected him more than he wanted to admit. Jordan shook his head, muffling his own chuckle.

“How are they, by the way?” Dream asked, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “ My sister made sure they got back here alive and I’m sure you would have sent word if either of them took a turn for the worse, but I didn’t want to risk coming out here so quickly after the skirmish in case Schlatt found out -”

“They’re fine,” Jordan said, cutting him off and quietly pushing open the door to the third floor. “See for yourself.”

“‘Ello Big D!”

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that, Tommy?” Dream sighed, walking into the room.

“I don’t see a problem with it, do you, captain? Oy, get off me mate” the blond exclaimed as Dream pulled him into a hug. “I know I’m very desirable and all the women love me but this feels excessive, Dream.”

“Shut up, Tommy” the man in question said fondly, ruffling Tommy’s hair before he let go, laughing at the indignant noise that came out of the teen’s mouth. 

Jordan couldn’t keep the chuckle from escaping his mouth as he shook his head. “Why are you even awake, Tommy?”

“You try to sleep with a green bastard banging on a tree, captain. Like jesus _c_ _ hrist _ , Dream - I don’t know how you fucking do it, like you were louder than  _ me _ . And we all know that I’m a very loud pers - I mean I’m a very quiet and shy and  _ meek _ person, y’know? Also, what is it with you  _ adults _ always having so many questions? I swear, I always have so many questions and I never get  _ any _ answers, I’m honestly beginning to think that -” the rest of his words were unintelligible as he trailed off, muttering the rest of his thoughts.

“Hi Dream, what time are we going to Pogtopia today?” Tubbo’s sleepy voice broke in, the younger boy shifting in bed as he sat up to face everyone.

“What?” Dreams voice came out almost as a growl before rising in incredulity.

“Oh, I’m sorry, was that not today?” Tubbo asked, looking confused.

“No, no that’s what I was planning on '' Dream started, voice much softer as he made to approach the teen to give him a hug as well, but Jordan tugged him back. 

“He cracked a few ribs that are still healing, best to give it a few more days.”

Dream frowned but nodded, only giving Tubbo’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “But I didn’t tell anyone about it, how did you know?” 

Tubbo shrugged “I just kinda knew” he said, as if that cleared anything up. Jordan frowned, scratching at his stubble contemplatively.

“But yeah, I was planning on bringing them back today, as long as they’re fit for travel” Dream said with a questioning tone, looking to Jordan for approval. 

Jordan nodded slowly, glancing at the teens. “They should be fine, it might tire them out but I personally don't think that’s a bad thing” he said, eyes twinkling as he looked at Tommy specifically. 

He ignored the sound of indignation that Tommy made and continued on. “Tubbo had a rather nasty arrow wound but it should be fine at this point. It’ll be stiff, so make sure he takes it easy.”

“Oh, sorry I wasn’t clearer with you, cap. You’re coming to Pogtopia with us - the fighting is escalating a little too quickly for my liking and there’s a few people you should meet,” said Dream, scratching at the back of his neck.

Jordan blinked, suddenly much more awake. “Yeah- yeah that’s fine. I’ll go pack my stuff so we can get an early start. Feel free to grab any food or supplies from the chests.” Dream nodded and turned to help Tommy and Tubbo get ready as Jordan made his way upstairs.

In his room, he grabbed an extra quiver of arrows, grabbed his sword, and let his thoughts wander as he began to strap on his diamond armor. Tubbo’s comments unsettled him, but a few things were beginning to line up in his mind. Jordan had developed a hunch on how magic worked in this world, but he didn't know enough to confirm his theory, not yet at least. He grabbed some more supplies then went back downstairs where the others appeared to be ready, Tommy and Tubbo wearing the new iron armor Jordan had crafted for them.

“Man, I’ve got to get some of that netherite,” he said, shaking his head at Dream’s attire. 

Dream laughed. “I have a few ingots back at my base if you want them.”

Jordan blinked. “Uh - dang I was joking but sure, if you have an extra, they’d be much appreciated.” 

“Alright, I’ll get ‘em to you soon, are we all ready to go?” Jordan could tell that Dream was impatient to leave, his right hand fidgeting with the handle of his netherite axe. 

Jordan nodded and tightened his grip on his bow, Tommy and Tubbo mirroring his actions with their swords.

“Then let’s get this show on the road.”

-

The trek to Pogtopia wasn’t actually very long, Jordan’s base being the midpoint between it and the smp -  _ the middleground  _ \- Jordan noted with a grim smile. As soon as they’d left the safety of his tree, he and Dream had been on high alert, the latter noticeably more on edge than usual. Dream led the way of the small group, scouting out the path ahead and looping back, stealthily traipsing through the dense forest canopy with ease. Jordan took up the rear defensively, constantly checking that they weren’t being followed and making sure to cover their tracks. Tommy and Tubbo were silent, Dream and Jordan’s combined intensity sending them the clear signal that this wasn’t the time for light chatter or friendly banter. Fortunately, the trip finished without any incidents, and with one final glance over their shoulders when they reached the secret entrance, they were in Pogtopia. 

Jordan wasn’t sure what he’d expected the rebel nation to be like, but he definitely hadn’t expected it to be located in a deep ravine hidden far from the surface of the world.  _ It did make sense _ he had to admit as they descended a cramped spiral staircase. A ravine could be blocked off pretty easily, had plenty of room for quarters and storage, and could even be connected to the rest of the smp with tunnels that could easily be disguised as strip mines. Strategically, it was brilliant. Aesthetically, it was shit. 

Mismatched stairs and walkways of cobblestone and wood haphazardly spanned the ravine, treacherous pathways that Tommy and Tubbo scampered across with incredible familiarity. They were seemingly unperturbed by the fact that one misstep would have them falling fifty or so feet to the bottom of the ravine. Randomly placed torches helped to illuminate the cave, but they provided a harsh sort of light, nothing like the warm glow of the lantern’s in Jordan’s base. Pogtopia was a nation created out of desperation, and the land it inhibited matched it perfectly. 

Jordan only wished they’d kept utility more in mind when Tommy and Wilbur had first established the place, cursing as his foot slipped on the rough stairs. Dream pulled him back to safety with an easy smile his mask didn’t cover. “Watch yourself, captain.” Jordan nodded, heart racing as they finished their descent. 

“I’ll go get Wil!” Tommy called over his shoulder once the group had made it to the bottom of the ravine, already making his way into a side room.

“That’s my cue to leave,” Dream said quickly, gaze following where Tommy had disappeared. “I’ll go get that netherite and meet up with you guys later” he finished, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Jordan frowned but nodded - Dream had been more on edge since Tommy and Tubbo had gotten hurt, but something else was definitely bothering him. The masked hunter ruffled Tubbo’s hair fondly and raised two fingers to his forehead in salute to Jordan before quickly scaling the stairs back to the surface. 

Dream let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, choosing to focus on leaping between walkways and cave walls that formed a makeshift but risky path. He could still hear his sister’s accusing voice in his mind -  _ choosing Wil’s side means you’re choosing to fight against me.  _ Dream shook his head, pouring every ounce of concentration into the roughness of the stone under his fingertips that threatened to cut him, the burn of his limbs as he reached impossibly far for miniscule handholds, and the weight in the balls of his feet as he launched off one platform and landed precisely on the next. This was something he was good at, something that was actually under his control. If he messed up, it was on him and him alone. Dream found that oddly reassuring, found the challenge of scaling caves and tall structures almost therapeutic in it’s predictability. Within no time, he was back up to the surface, stopping to blink momentarily in the bright sunlight. He exhaled heavily and pulled his axe from his back, taking comfort in it’s familiar weight in his hand, then began the trek back to his smp.

Jordan didn’t have long to ponder Dream’s strange mood, as Tommy returned quickly with someone at his side. The man was taller than everyone there, wearing all black under a long brown coat. Curly reddish brown hair spilled out beneath his black beanie, almost covering his brown eyes which held a bright and dangerous gleam. “Hello captain” Wilbur said with a slightly unnerving but brilliant smile. “Let's have a little chat, shall we?”

“So you’re our newest ally, Dream’s newest  _ pal,  _ as it were?” he asked as they made their way to a side room.

“I am, but you say that like it’s a bad thing” Jordan noted, frowning at Wilbur’s tone.

“See, here’s the thing, captain,” he began, waving at the trio to take a seat at the table he’d brought them to. Wilbur himself didn’t sit, beginning to pace the room and gesturing animatedly as he continued to speak, voice taking on higher pitch. 

“Last time one of Dream’s  _ friends _ showed up to help, our sweet Tubbo found himself at the end of a crossbow that was meant for Schlatt.” Tubbo cringed as Jordan looked to him for verification, but the teen said nothing, wisely letting Wilbur continue his narrative instead of interrupting him. 

“ _ Technoblade” _ the former president of L’Manburg spat, derision dripping from his voice. “He was supposedly our saving grace, a legend among men, his power and skill matched only by Dream himself.” Wilbur let out a bitter laugh. “Turned out he’s just here for himself, captain. He  _ thrives _ on conflict and bloodshed, prefers anarchy and war over peace and diplomacy. I quite like the guy, actually.”

Jordan’s frown hadn’t left his face. “So is this someone I should trust or...”

Tommy finally spoke up. “He and Dream fought alongside me in a stupid battle over one of my pets, cap. Christ - he’s absolutely fucking insane in combat, like that’s a big man you  _ don’t _ want to be on the wrong side of. He hurt Tubbo which frankly  _ pisses me of _ f about the guy, but he doesn’t like Schlatt, if that answers your question.” 

Wilbur didn’t contradict what Tommy said, but his eyes narrowed at the interruption. “So yes, captain, you’ll have to forgive me if I’m not so ready to trust another one of Dream’s recruits. Techno’s only on our side because it keeps the chaos running rampant. But let me guess something about you first - you’re immensely powerful, have no existing ties to this realm, and only picked a side because Dream forced you to, correct?”

Jordan brought a hand up to readjust the red shades perched on his nose. This guy was  _ not _ in a stable headspace. “That’s immensely oversimplified but some of it is accurate.”

Wilbur nodded with satisfaction. “Now riddle me this, dear Captain. What  _ exactly  _ would killing Schlatt achieve?”

"Nothing," he responded, eyebrows furrowed. "Someone else would most likely take his place and you'd still be at war, just with someone less senile at the helm."

"Exactly my point, captain. Now Tommy, be a good lad and tell our new  _ friend _ about my plan.” Jordan didn’t like the dangerous expression on Wilbur’s face.

"Blowing up Manburg wouldn't do anything to help either Will" Tommy muttered, glaring at the table like it had said something to offend the queen. “That’s what he wants to do, cap.” 

Jordan started - nothing about this felt  _ right.  _ “You want to blow up the very nation you established?” he asked, voice rising in incredulity “You’re insane.”

"I have  _ nothing _ left to lose, captain. L'Manburg, my great unfinished symphony, has fallen into ruins. My people are being hunted for sport, our history being erased by it's very leader, our rule was  _ never even legitimate _ . The orchestra is waiting, captain, the conductor's hands are poised to conduct that last note. But the wood of the instruments is decaying, brass is bending and strings are snapping. All that's left is to put the orchestra out of its  _ fucking  _ misery and end the symphony before it's too late. And I intend to do that with a bang, a crescendo to a grand finale.”

"Wilbur, listen to me. We can still do - we can still fix it, Wilbur it’s not all lost. We can rebuild the walls, write another constitution, we can restore it to what it used to be. We have Dream and the captain on our side - Wilbur you’re not listening to me, you never do-” Tommy interrupted again, voice rising with impassion, words spilling over one another as he tried desperately to reason with the man.

"Tommy, your childish hope is inspiring, but unfortunately, wars aren't ended with hope.” Wilbur responded, almost laughing with hysteria. “I think you’re scared, Tommy Innit, scared of what this war will make people think of you. Technoblade said it best himself. Violence is the only universal language in this fucked up world, and we’ve spoken that language. We’ve exhausted those words and now, now, there is  _ nothing left for us to lose _ , no matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise.”

“People who think they have nothing left to lose are just people who are afraid of how much they've already lost.” Jordan said quietly. “Trust me, Wilbur. You can always lose more. Blowing Manburg up until there’s nothing left isn't going to do anything, just like killing Schlatt isn't going to do anything. Something is keeping you from seeing this, something isn't letting you see sense.” 

“So what side are you on,  _ captain _ ? Am I the villain in this story? Am I the  _ bad guy _ ?” Wilbur asked threateningly.

Jordan sighed, standing up. “I’m on the side that’ll bring balance back to this fucked up world. Choosing a side is always a dangerous thing, Wilbur. Giving up on what you’re fighting for is always infinitely more dangerous. That’s how more people get hurt, and as excited as you are to blow up what’s left of L’Manburg, I think you still care about your people. I think you’re scared that you’ll get them hurt again, and this idiot plan of yours is setting you up perfectly to do that. So yeah, maybe you are the bad guy.”

“Let’s go, cap,” Tommy said suddenly, standing up to join him. “There’s someone you need to meet for yourself.”

The two made their way to the door. “You’re coming too, Tubbo,” Tommy added.

Tubbo nodded. “Just give me a sec, ok?” Tommy and Jordan nodded then made their way out of the room, leaving Tubbo and Wilbur alone together.

“Don’t give up just yet, Wilbur,” Tubbo said quietly. “The captain’s different. You can trust him, I promise.” With that, he left the room too, leaving Wilbur looking after him with a curious look in his eyes. The tables were turning, the battlegrounds shifting, and the former president of L’Manburg wasn’t quite sure where he stood anymore.

-

The trio remained in silence as they made their way out of the ravine. The meeting with L’Manburg’s former president unsettled Jordan deeply. Something about him just seemed  _ off _ . Wilbur didn’t seem like the type of guy to go about slitting his enemies throats, based on how eloquently he had spoken. But clever words and diplomacy had failed the man and he’d lost a lot as a result - Wilbur was desperate, and in Jordan’s experience, desperate people tended to make stupid decisions.

At the same time, Jordan’s respect for Tommy had increased tenfold after the meeting. Sure, he was quick to speak his mind and had a tendency to utilize more crass language to get his points across, but he was incredibly loyal to L’Manburg, just as Dream had said when Jordan had first met the hunters. The kid had a fiery spirit that was seemingly impossible to be stamped out of him, and Jordan could finally understand how someone so young was a vice president. Tommy was undoubtedly a leader through and through

“Which way is his place from here, Tubbo?” asked Tommy, breaking the silence and glancing around when they had made it back up to the surface.

“It’s west of Pogtopia.”

“Now is that to the right or left of me?”

Tubbo sighed heavily “How many times do I have to tell you Tommy? Right and left are relative to your position, they don’t actually mean anything when you’re giving directions.” 

“Look man, maths are not my strong suit. Right or left?”

“Cardinal directions aren’t math, Tommy!” Tubbo protested. “But it’s to the left.”

“You could have said that much sooner, big man” Tommy muttered, taking the lead.

Jordan interrupted them before any real argument could break out. “So  _ that’s _ your president?”

Both Tommy and Tubbo caught the judgmental tone in Jordan’s voice and quickly jumped to Wilbur’s defense. 

“Nonono captain, he’s really been a bloody brilliant leader. He’s the reason we’re all together in the first place - he lead us quite well through the first war and he’s fucking fantastic with all of the politics bullshit quite honestly.” Tommy exclaimed.

“He’s really a lovely person, captain” Tubbo added in a small voice. “He’s always been on the chaotic side but since Schlatt got elected, he’s changed. This just isn’t him.”

Jordan halted in his tracks. “Say that again.”

“That Wilbur’s changed?”

“No, the thing before that.”

“That he’s always been on the chaotic side?”

_ Bingo _ . Jordan’s thoughts started racing, Tubbo and Tommy falling silent at the expression on the captain’s face.

This was a new world, with a new kind of magic. But at the end of the day, every world dealt with the same struggle between chaos, order, and balance.  _ Gods _ ,  _ he should have realized this sooner _ . In the Mianitian worlds the three sides were always distinct from one another, three champions for three gods, each embodying order, chaos, and balance. But here, the three were more blended giving the magic of the world a much different feel, the inhabitants of the realm having varying levels of attraction to each side. 

It explained Tubbo’s odd remarks, his uncanny ability to almost see the future - a power the teen shared with Jordan’s goddess. The kid’s bias towards balance was heavier than his biases towards order or chaos. That’s why Jordan felt so in tune with Tubbo, that’s how always he seemed to know so much more than the others. It explained why Jordan had felt a strange presence from the world when he was back on the isles - it wasn’t just one presence with a confusing bias, it was many. It explained some of the imbalance in the world as well, with so many people with varying biases in conflict, it was no wonder that the realm felt so disjointed. 

And then there was Dream. Jordan could only guess at his bias, but based on what Dream had told him, he could safely assume that the masked hunter had been around since the creation of his realm. If Jordan had to guess, he would say that being the first one in a new world had given Dream more power than anyone else in the realm, the magic that sprung forth from the creation of a new world only having one person to initially host it. He  _ had _ mentioned that he had more power than he was willing to use, making him a sort of demigod, to use Mianitian terms. That’s why it was safest for him to stay neutral, to only work in the shadows. Dream was what Jordan would be if his goddess hadn’t claimed him, someone with a lot of power, someone who could manipulate the very workings of the world. This changed things, somewhat. Dream’s status had too many implications for Jordan to consider at the moment, but he made a mental note to get Dream alone for a meeting, as soon as possible.

As much as Jordan wanted this new kind of magic to explain all of the imbalance in the realm, he had a gut feeling that something else in the realm was the source of the turmoil. Something that could easily change someone’s personality, something that would encourage destruction over preservation, war over peace.  _ Gods, it couldn’t be here now, it couldn’t be back again - could it?  _ For the sake of this realms’ very existence, Jordan prayed he was wrong about the return of-

Tommy cut off his train of thought before he could finish it.

“And we’re here” the blond said grimly. “It’s time for you to meet the Blade.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize for the delay in getting this out but school's gotta come first. anywho thank u to maddie for giving me a will to live (and also beta reading) ilysm. this chapter was really fun to write, god i just love the dynamics of the smp. as always, i really really appreciate all of your support and i love seeing all of your reactions and theories in the comments. hope you enjoyed <3


	7. Chapter 7

They’d come to another quiet and sparsely decorated forest clearing, one that was evidently used on a regular basis, given the state of the trampled forest floor. Stacks of hay bales had been pushed to the edges of the clearings while targets of varying sizes hung on the surrounding trees at multiple heights, most likely for axe and archery practice. A lone chest and brewing stand were the only other items present in the clearing, pushed to the side as well, a red piece of fabric half-draped over them almost as an afterthought. The middle of the secluded area was kept clear, a ring of red marking out what appeared to be a circle for one-on-one combat practice. 

A lone figure stood completely still in the center of the ring, his back turned towards Tommy, Jordan, and Tubbo. The former turned towards Jordan with wide eyes and raised a single finger to his lips.  _ Shhh, just watch. _

The figure stayed still for a moment longer, contemplating his next movements before quickly throwing himself to the ground. With an easy somersault, he came up into a crouch. With a bow and arrow now in his hands, he fired three arrows in quick succession into the three smallest targets in front of him. He didn’t stop to admire the three perfect bullseyes he’d just landed and instead dropped the bow at his feet, whipping out the axe strapped to his back. The figure became a blur of motion as he dismantled the hay bale stacks in front of him, his axe joining him in a deadly hypnotic dance as it cut through the air, graceful swoops and arcs accentuated by flashes of light as the netherite blade caught the sun. As soon as the last stack had been decapitated, the figure whipped around and taking a knee, hurled the axe into the air before the last bundle of wheat had even fallen to the forest floor. The axe flashed in the sunlight again and met one of the hanging targets dead center with a resounding  _ crack. _

The figure remained in his last position on one knee with his head bowed, shoulders heaving slightly as he caught his breath. His shoulder length dusty pink hair was pulled back from his face by two small matching braids, and when he eventually stood up and turned around, the trio could finally see his face - the head of a boar melding seamlessly with human flesh.  _ Technoblade _ .

“‘Ello Techno!” Tommy exclaimed cheerfully, walking forward into the clearing. 

“Hullo” the man responded in a low voice, leaning down to brush the dirt off the knees of his black leggings.

“Wha- Techno you always say hello like that, like  _ hullo  _ in your deep boring voice.  _ Jesus  _ man, could I get some more enthusiasm for once? Oh! We have someone for you to meet” Tommy added, moving quickly from one thought to the next with little care for transitions. “This is-”

“CaptainSparklez.” Technoblade finished for him, straightening up and looking directly at Jordan.

Jordan stumbled back, all the color draining from his face as if he’d just seen a ghost. And he had, really. He wanted to kick himself - of all of the things for him to forget - aside from his goddess’ name of course - out of everything that he’d managed to remember, this took the bait. In a very dangerous lapse of memory, he’d forgotten about  _ The Blade. _

Dream and Tommy had said they had someone for Jordan to meet. The funny thing was, Jordan and Technoblade  _ had _ met before. Several times actually. In a world where they fought to live and lived to fight, the two had met alright, and always,  _ always  _ in combat. Whether it was at the end of a sword or the tip of an arrow, the other would gasp out  _ mercy  _ in a futile effort to survive. It never came. Mercy was against the rules, and the unfortunate loser would meet their untimely death, only to respawn within a few hours to continue the fighting. It was a cruel world, made crueler by a fact that was impossible for Jordan to forget - the captain never won their fights.  _ Technoblade never died. _

So it was an odd mix of emotions that Jordan experienced when the half-man turned to face them, the captain’s full title spilling out of his lips without a moment of hesitation.

“Good to know that just  _ seeing  _ me still puts you into a depressive state” Techno drawled, yanking his axe out of the dead center of one of the bullseyes.

Jordan sputtered “You realize you did kill me hundreds and hundreds of times, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Without me ever killing you!”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re here now. In Dream’s SMP,” Jordan finished a little faintly.

“Yeah.”

Jordan exhaled, trying to center himself. Technoblade, however, looked completely unfazed by the exchange and picked up the red fabric draped over the lone chest in the clearing, apparently having discarded his cape while training. 

“Techno!” Tubbo exclaimed interrupting them, his voice raising in excitement as he noticed a small fuzzy insect making its way through the clearing.. “You have  _ bees! _ ” 

“Uhhhhh yeah, there’s a hive not too far from here.” Technoblade shrugged, not breaking eye contact with the captain.

“I’ll be  _ right _ back everyone” Tubbo called over his shoulder, disappearing into the forest before anyone could protest. They could catch him up later if he didn’t just absorb their conversation like last time.

“So, um,” Jordan struggled, trying to find something to say to break the awkward silence. “What have you been up to for the past, what, couple hundred years?”

Techno shrugged “Anarchy. World domination. Tax evasion. Y’know, the usual.” Jordan stared at his old rival in utter bewilderment. “Farmed potatoes for a while too. Taught me more about myself than college ever could” he deadpanned. Jordan wasn’t sure if he was supposed to take Techno’s words seriously or not.

“Wha- what’s  _ wrong _ with you, big man?” Tommy demanded, face twisted in confusion. 

“A lot of things really” Techno answered in the same monotonous voice. “Uh, I have a bad attention span, uhhh I’m bad at conversation - bad with social conversations as well. Uh, might have just committed tax fraud recently - oh! And the murders, of course.”

Tommy let out a shrieking  _ paHA  _ of a laugh and even Jordan had to hide a smile. “Alright, alright, alright big man, we’re just gonna pretend I didn’t ask.”

“So I take it you’re  _ not _ on Schlatt’s side” Jordan said, trying to get the conversation back on track.

The Blade shrugged “Apart from the fact that we’re trying to overthrow him, I’d say Schlatt is a pretty good guy.” 

Tommy made an indignant noise “He wanted you to kill  _ Tubbo _ , big man, and you almost did.”

“We’ve been over this Tommy. There was a lot of pressure on me.” Jordan’s eyebrow twitched up at the slight increase in pitch of Techno’s voice. It was the biggest display of emotion he’d seen from his past rival since meeting him in this world. 

“So what, you just cave under the slightest amount of peer pressure?” Tommy challenged.

“Yes. Immediately.” 

Tommy blinked. “Oh - well alright, fair enough, alright, at least you’re honest about it” he trailed off muttering, words becoming incomprehensible. 

“Are you guys almost done arguing? Dream’s about to show up with some stuff for Cap” Tubbo broke in casually, walking back into the clearing with his hands cupped around something.

“Yeah, yeah we’re done” replied Jordan, shooting a look at Tommy and Techno. “Whatcha got there, bud?”

“I have a bee, captain!” Tubbo answered with genuine delight.

“A bee?” Jordan repeated back to him, looking mildly perplexed.

“Tubbo, you can’t keep doing this, man” Tommy sighed. 

Tubbo ignored the blond and kept talking. “Yeah, I found him a bit bashed up away from the hive. You don’t by chance have any healing potions on you, captain? I promise, I only need a drop or two for the little guy.”

Jordan looked at the bee in Tubbo’s cupped hands, an unreadable expression on his face as he took in the sight of the small insect curled in on itself pathetically. Tubbo was looking at the captain with a pleading expression of his own, hopeful eyes glancing between the bee he cradled gently and Jordan’s stubbornly blank face. 

“Yeah I-” Jordan’s voice faltered as he momentarily made eye contact with Tubbo, the latter’s childlike innocence reminding him too closely of another young man forced into a fight he wasn’t ready for. “Here you go” he said quietly, slipping a potion bottle out of his pocket and uncorking it, holding it out to the teen. Jordan’s mind was in a completely different place as he numbly watched Tubbo tilt the small bottle over his hand, allowing two small drops of potion to fall onto the bee, cooing softly as it uncurled and began to move its legs. 

Jordan was back in the realm of Ruxomar, the second land he’d lived in that was ruled by the gods. He was in the city of Dagrun, the young man in his early twenties standing before him with wide eyes dubbing Jordan and his then companions the “Sky People.”  _ Andor.  _ The crown prince had seemed so young -  _ about Dream’s age _ \- Jordan realized with a start, already burdened by the loss of his family and the title to a throne he didn’t want. Secretly loyal to the goddess his father blamed for their tragedy, Andor had found new hope and resilience in the arrival of the champions of the gods. And they’d let him down. They’d failed him.

Jordan was listening to the prince’s confessions -  _ I follow the goddess of balance too,  _ watching Andor give the speech that would launch a rebellion, land him in prison, and lead to his torture. Jordan was back in Inertia, staring through the iron bars at the pitiful heap that was Andor’s body, wings clipped away, freedom and innocence stolen from him in the most horrific fashion possible. He was standing on a cliff that overlooked the sea, taking turns throwing Andor’s boomerang, pretending that everything was alright, that their world wasn’t crumbling, that they’d be ok. He was giving the Andor a new set of wings - an apology, and unspoken promise, a chance at freedom again.  _ You can still find yourself, you can still live the life you want. I’m sorry I failed you but this can help, please let this help, let me fix you. I won’t fail you again, just be ok. _

It destroyed Jordan, what had happened to Andor. And everyone here, everyone in the smp was about his age, if not younger. War hadn’t stamped out their hope, not yet at least. Jordan couldn’t bear to see the hope and tenderness that shone in Tubbo’s eyes as he marveled at the small creature coming back to life in his hands disappear. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he allowed that innocence, that appreciation for life to be stolen from the youngest members of the smp. 

And as the bee took off, buzzing happily away from the clearing, he saw Andor leaping joyfully into the air with his new wings, his second chance at life. And in that moment, Jordan swore to himself that Tubbo, as well as the rest of the smp, would have that same chance after the war.

“I think I’ll call him TuBee - no, ToBee! Like my real name! What do you think, captain?”

“It’s a good choice, kid,” Jordan said fondly, waving Tubbo’s hand away as the teen tried to give him the potion back. “Keep it, Tubbo. You need it more than me.”

Tubbo nodded and pocketed the small bottle with a grateful smile. “Dream should be here soon, by the way.”

Sure enough, a familiar wheeze of laughter came from the forest canopy, and Dream quickly descended into the clearing.

“Tubbo! You ruined my entrance!” Dream yelled good naturedly, a huge grin on his face.

“Sorry, Dream” Tubbo said with a grin of his own, not looking sorry in the slightest. 

Dream had actually been following Tommy, Tubbo, and the captain since they’d left Pogtopia, his trip back to the smp for netherite made considerably shorter with a few well thrown ender pearls. But they didn't need to know that. As much as Dream trusted Jordan to keep Tommy and Tubbo safe, the two teens were like younger brothers to him, and after they’d gotten roughed up the first time, he was wary about letting them travel willy nilly through the realm without his eyes on them. There was also the interesting enigma that was Technoblade. 

Dream wasn’t about to let the two most powerful members in his realm besides himself meet without him being there to monitor the situation.

He was glad he hadn’t missed it. The fact that Jordan and Techno had met each other in another world didn’t surprise him in the slightest, but it was concerning that such skilled people were now in  _ his  _ world which was on the brink of all out warfare. Techno had been his usual deadpan sarcastic self, his words not entirely true yet not entirely false. After his initial shock, Jordan had treated the exchange in the same way he had treated his first talk with the hunters, searching for more information from the threat while limiting what he shared about himself. No blades had been drawn and the conversation had stayed relatively civil, so Dream considered it to be an overall win in his book. 

“Hey Techno. Nice haircut by the way.” 

“Dream,” Techno nodded “New mask? Or did you fix the last one?”

“Same one” Dream replied with a shrug. “We had a duel,” he added, noting Jordan’s confused face. That didn’t seem to clear anything up for the captain.

“Alright,” the masked hunter continued. “Do you guys want the good news or bad news first?”

“Well you showing up in the first place has made me very sad, big man” said Tommy, attempting and failing to keep a straight face “So do us a favor and cheer us up,  _ Dre. _ ”

“What?” Dreams voice came out as a growl at the nickname. “Nevermind. The  _ good _ news is that I had more netherite than expected, so you’ll be in good shape cap, we can talk about that later.” Jordan nodded, waiting for the bad news.

“The  _ bad  _ news,” Dream started with a sigh “is that Schlatt’s got all of his cronies training and prepping for battle, which means we have to start doing the same thing.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong Dream,” Tubbo began carefully “but that doesn’t sound like  _ that  _ bad of news - you’ve said it yourself that Tommy and I need to be trained.”

“Nonono, you’re right Tubbo - but I wasn’t finished. The  _ real _ bad news is that we’re limited in the number of experienced people available to train those who are less experienced. I mean no offense captain, but the fighting techniques in this world are much different from what you’re used to.” 

Jordan nodded in agreement “That’s fair, but who do you have in mind other than yourself and Technoblade?”

The masked hunter sighed again. “That’s the bad news, cap. Or rather,  _ she’s  _ the bad news,” Dream corrected himself, tilting his head up towards another masked figure in black and teal silently perched in one of the trees surrounding the clearing. 

“I think it’s time for you to properly meet my sister.”

“I have a name you know” the figure in the tree called, descending from her perch to a lower branch, sitting there and letting her feet dangle into the air.

Dream rolled his eyes behind his mask. “It’s not like they’d be able to pronounce it, galactic language doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.”

The girl let out the distinctive wheezing laugh Dream had then quickly unlaced one of her boots and chucked it at his head. He dodged the projectile easily, the boot falling to the forest floor with an unnaturally heavy  _ thump _ . 

“Ignore him - I’m Drista and that  _ idiot  _ is my brother. And for the record,” she added with a shit-eating grin “my entrance was better than yours.”

Dream rolled his eyes again but let out a small chuckle “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“‘ELLO DRISTA!” Tommy shouted with a huge grin. “How does it feel being the cooler Dream sibling?”

“Hi Tommy. How does it feel to be a child?” she deadpanned in response.

“What the  _ fu-  _ what the  _ hell  _ Drista? You’re  _ literally _ younger than me” Tommy sputtered.

“Yeah but you’re more of a child than me” she replied in the same tone, kicking her legs back and forth. Dream let out a loud laugh, and wheezing even harder when Tommy glared daggers at him.

“Ok, so how are you, Drista?” Tommy tried again, taking a different approach.

“Um, y’know, I was better and then I started talking to you so…”

“Oh, alright  _ dickhead,  _ y’know what-”

Jordan shook his head with a smile and ignored their antics, taking a moment to absorb Drista’s appearance. She had the same dirty blonde hair as Dream, but this time it was pulled into two space buns instead of a messy braid, a few loose strands of hair framing her masked face. She wore a low black turtleneck over black cargo pants that were tucked into combat boots, but the stealthy effect was somewhat ruined by her bright teal cropped sweatshirt. 

Her hoodie sleeves were pushed up to her elbows, exposing the black sleeves of her turtleneck. Jordan noted the appearance of the hoodie with mild interest, a variety of tears, scorch marks, and what appeared to be bloodstains covering it. Two straps of leather crossed over her chest forming the holster for her axes, one of which she had taken off her back and now held loosely in her right hand. Black fingerless gloves and a few silver rings completed Drista’s appearance, pairing well with the devilish smile she was currently giving the group.

“Hey Tommy,  _ duck _ !” she hollered, launching her axe over his head towards one of the hanging targets. Tommy dove out of the way and not a second too soon, Drista’s axe thunking into a tree right next to the target. 

“Oops” she chirped, not sounding very apologetic. “Nobody’s perfect I guess, not even me.” Utterly nonplussed, Drista descended lightly from the tree, ruffling Tommy’s hair and punching Dream in the shoulder as she made her way across the clearing to collect her axe and missing shoe. 

“Wait, Drista - is that a  _ flower cow _ on your sock?” Tubbo broke in as she sat down to relace her boot. 

“Yeah!” she said cheerfully, pulling at the leg of her cargo pants to let him see the yellow cow pattern better . “I personally call them mooblooms - like the mooshroom mobs - and they’d be the  _ best  _ thing to happen to this world.”

“Not that I don’t like obnoxiously bright socks or anything, but I feel like I’m missing something here” Techno deadpanned, noting the frown that was now on Dream’s face.

Dream let out an exaggerated groan and raked a hand through his hair. “Drista and I had a dumb argument over what kind of mobs would be coolest to see in the world” he explained. “I think a glowing squid would be infinitely cooler  _ and _ more useful but she’s still stuck on the stupid piss cow.”

“Wouldn’t a new kind of illager be better?” Jordan broke in. “Like one in the snow biomes? Those are still pretty empty and they could have cooler drops than either of your ideas.”

Drista stared at him, expression hidden behind her mask. “You’re very quickly becoming the most boring person I’ve ever met, captain” she said very matter of factly before dissolving into laughter, joined quickly by Tommy and Tubbo. 

“And this is your third trainer?” Jordan asked, looking at Dream who was barely stifling his own laughter.

Dream’s eyebrow twitched up, the corner of his mouth twitching up to form a sly smile. “Who do you want to challenge, Drista?”

His sister straightened up after finishing tying her shoe, and Jordan noted with amusement that she was the shortest one in the group. Drista took a wide stance and put her hands on her hips, sizing up everyone else. 

“I’m in the mood to fight god today - that means you, Techno” she declared.

“Ok.”

Drista seemed to find his monotonous agreement hysterical, breaking down into laughter as she made her way over to the lone chest in the clearing. She began pulling stacks of wood out of the chest, then started to pile them up randomly throughout the clearing. The others joined her and they made quick work of transforming the clearing into more of an arena, now with obstacles and cover to add to the fight. 

“Weapons of choice?” Dream asked, stepping back from the woodpile he’d just finished constructing.

“Double axes” his sister answered, pulling the two netherite weapons off her back with a well practiced movement. “Can I take this stupid mask off for the fight?”

Dream shook his head. “No, you need practice with it on. Technoblade?”

The man in question was quiet for a moment, discarding his red cape and pushing his sleeves up. “We’ll keep it classic” he answered eventually, equippig a shield and unsheathing his netherite sword. 

“Fair enough” Dream said, joining Tubbo, Tommy, and Jordan at the edge of the clearing.

“A few ground rules before we start” Dream started, shaking his head at the groan he heard from his sister. “Absolutely  _ no _ killing and preferably no maiming. I know you think it makes your hoodie look cooler Drista, but I don’t want to burden Jordan with having to fix you lot up again.” Drista stuck her tongue out but her brother ignored her.

“Other than that, anything’s free game. Feel free to put on a show for the captain” Dream finished with a grin. “Now have at it!”

Drista and Technoblade went silent, and began circling one another, weapons raised. Drista attacked first, netherite axes becoming a blur as they flicked through the air. Techno defended them with ease, his shield taking the brunt of the attack while he deflected any stray hits with his sword. Drista backed off, heart already racing from the exhilaration of the fight.

“C’mon pig man, I’ll be eating bacon for dinner at this rate” she teased him, skittering behind one of the woodpiles as he began to approach her. 

Techno didn’t bother responding, and instead gave an experimental jab at her with his sword, which she blocked easily with a cross of her axes. He backed off again and Drista went for a new approach, throwing one of her axes directly at him. Techno cursed and threw himself behind the nearest woodpile, wincing as the axe connected with the wood right where he’d just been standing. Before Drista could retrieve her second axe, Techno forced her back into hand to hand combat, now at an advantage with both sword and shield compared to her single weapon. 

Drista gritted her teeth trying to fend off his blows, but she was outmatched. With a well timed thrust of his sword, Techno managed to hook onto her axe and with a hard twist, had disarmed her. 

“Yield” he said calmly, sword raised to her chest.

“No” she responded with a sweet smile, before Techno knew what was happening, had ducked down and kicked his legs out from under him. Before he could even get to his feet, she had vaulted herself onto the woodpiles and retrieved both of her axes. They continued their game of cat and mouse around the arena, blades flashing in the light, Tommy and Tubbo whooping whenever things got exciting. But the two were almost evenly matched.

The fight eventually came to its climax, and Jordan thought that Drista had Techno done for. Technoblade raised his shield to deflect the swing of her axe, but she feinted, instead parrying his sword with one axe and using the other to sweep his feet out from under him, sending him sprawling onto the forest floor. Drista advanced on him with both axes raised, but he somersaulted away at the last moment as she swung, sending her off balance. Using her now unwanted momentum to his advantage, Techno pressed Drista back, forcing her to clammer onto the nearest wood pile - putting her exactly where he wanted. 

Dream watched with bated breath as Techno began to land an onslaught of hits on his sister’s axes, Drista barely able to deflect the blows. He knew that his sister wasn’t  _ really _ in danger, but fights like these stressed him out nonetheless. Drista tried the same maneuver as before, but this time Techno expected the feint and forced his sword between the cross of her axes, stopping her before she could sweep at him again. This locked the two into their position, neither giving the other an inch to work with. 

“You could just yield” Techno forced out, teeth gritted in exertion as he kept his sword locked between her axes.

“Never” Drista gasped out, muscles burning as she tried to press back against Techno’s force, but to no avail, as his size gave him the bigger advantage.

Techno’s eyes narrowed in concentration and he suddenly shoved all of his strength against his sword hilt, forcing the blade to this side. This motion broke Drista’s grip and set her axes flying from her grasp, the sheer force of the shove setting her completely off balance. From there, Techno simply swung his shield out, wincing as it made contact with Drista’s body. Still reeling from before, the motion sent her toppling off the woodpile and she landed heavily, too far from her axes to do anything. With another sweep of Techno’s sword at her feet, she was sprawled out on the forest floor, the tip of his sword mere inches from her throat. 

“Yield” Techno stated, sword held steady despite the fact that his chest was heaving, lungs desperate for air.

“No” Drista fired back defiantly, eyes flashing behind her mask.

“Just yield, kid” he sighed.

“No,” she repeated. “This fight isn’t over”

Technoblade sighed and removed his sword from her throat anyway. “In the wise words of Sun Tzu, there is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare” he intoned, sheathing his sword.

“That sounds like a cop out from another fight."

"It is."

"Well, I’ll beat you one day then” Drista said vehemently, pushing herself off the ground and brushing the dirt off her clothes. 

"If you say so, kid" he sighed again, deciding not to argue the point.

Drista went to collect her axes, swinging them onto her back in one fluid motion, then walked over to Dream’s side, rolling her eyes but laughing with him when he propped his elbow on her shoulder.

“Nice job, kid” he said fondly, looking down at his sister who’s hair was more down than up, face flushed pink under her mask “Really.” 

“Yeah I know, I’m pretty amazing” she responded with a grin, shrugging his arm off.

“So captain,” Dream started with a crooked grin, turning to face Jordan. “Does that answer your question? Think she could teach you a few things?”

“Yeah” Jordan said truthfully. “Yeah, I’d say so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not gonna lie this chapter was a bit of a struggle to get thru but i hope yall enjoyed it anyway! shoutout to maddie for beta reading and hyping me up (its getting repetitive ik but i rly do love u a lot). topaz, this chapter was written with u in mind literally the whole time, i hope i did our girl justice and also ur art is amazing and ily. everyone else, thanks as always for reading, hanging out, and commenting - i love you all v v much. (also as a sidenote, i absolutely live for all of yalls theories on whats gonna happen - sometimes you guys have better ideas than me so feel free to share them as much as you want - very few things about this story are set in stone (maddie would know lmfao im sorry ilysm)) anywho, next chapter should be out within a week, but hopefully sooner. my tumblr is the same as my ao3 account, so if u ever wanna check out that shitshow, you may just see me vagueblogging and not so vagueblogging about this fic. i'll be quiet now, but love ya guys <3


	8. Chapter 8

“I hate to break up this happy fun time, but you guys need to get out of here  _ fast _ ” a voice suddenly rang out, startling the group.

Dream whirled around to see Sapnap stumbling into the glade. “Schlatt...has people on the way,” the black haired hunter gasped, bracing himself on a tree with one hand as he tried to catch his breath. 

“He knows that the captain is here,” George confirmed, striding into the clearing and pushing his sweaty hair to the side with one hand, a tinge of pink high on his cheekbones. “We don’t know if he knows it’s the captain specifically... or how he even knows in the first place, but he knows there’s someone new in the realm.”

Sapnap broke in again before anyone could start asking questions. “He sent Quackity and Fundy out with George and I to scout around - we split up so we could warn you guys first but they’ll be here soon. Dream’s safe because he basically owns the world and Schlatt’s too much of a pussy to engage with him, but for the rest of you...it’s kill on sight.”

Any further questions Dream had immediately died on his lips. He exhaled harshly and ran a hand through his hair, thoughts racing at one hundred miles an hour. He let himself panic for approximately five seconds before steeling his nerves and letting pure adrenaline take over. 

“Techno, Drista - you two get Tubbo and Tommy to Pogtopia safely.” Dream directed, green eyes burning with intensity under his mask. “Schlatt knows he can’t touch my sister and I don’t think he’s stupid enough to have Quackity and Fundy try to fight the Blade. I don’t want a repeat of last week - do you have enough pearls for the journey?”

Drista pulled a stack from the small pouch at her waist and nodded.

“Good. Now get going, and Techno?”

The man looked up from reloading his crossbow, a dangerous fire dancing in his eyes.

“Whatever happens, don’t let them get hurt.” Technoblade nodded, a grim smile dancing across his face. 

“Dream, they’re going to be here in less than five minutes,” Tubbo broke in, glancing nervously between Jordan and the masked hunter.

_ Shit.  _ “Thanks for the heads up, Tubbo. The four of you, get out of here right  _ now _ . Get to Pogtopia and shelter there until I give you the all clear - the training rooms are there for a reason. Use them. Be safe, and good luck.”

Drista raised two fingers to her forehead in a mock salute to Jordan and the hunters, then gave the go ahead to throw the pearls. The group was gone in a flash of purple particles.

Dream let out another deep breath, ignoring the way his heart was pounding, refusing to let his friends’ worried faces add to his stress.

“I think that if - I think in theory we should be fine, but we should probably avoid um -avoid being seen by Fundy and Quackity” he continued, stumbling over his words a little. “Do you mind if we lay low at your place for a little bit, cap?”

Jordan nodded. “This always seems to happen,” he teased. “Everyone always gathers at the introvert’s base-” he stopped, cocking his head as he heard the sound of voices approaching the clearing.  _ Time to go _ he mouthed to the hunters, and they nodded, Dream handing each of them an ender pearl. Jordan inspected the pearl, green and purple liquid shifting in the glass like capsule, and an intense feeling of longing washed over him.  _ This was connected to his lady, somehow.  _ He couldn’t focus on that now.

On George’s silent count, the four launched their pearls in the direction of Jordan’s base. Only Dream managed to land gracefully in the treetops when they teleported, the rest of the group scrambling for handholds and footholds as they fell through the branches. Before they could completely recover, Dream handed them more pearls and they repeated the process two more times until they were close enough to Jordan’s base to walk the rest of the way. Jordan silently let the others inside, making sure they could see which notch to press to open the door, and let out a heavy sigh of relief as he slid the last barricade over the door. 

“I want to pull both of you out of there, it’s too dangerous” Dream started, looking at George and Sapnap.

Jordan stopped him from saying any more. “Dream, give them a second to breathe. We can talk about this once I’ve gotten some food and drink into all of you.” 

Dream narrowed his eyes behind his mask but didn’t say anything, the dangerous look in the captain’s eyes dissuading him from complaining.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Jordan muttered to himself, gesturing to the hunters to follow him upstairs. George and Sapnap craned their necks upward as they ascended the staircase, taking in their surroundings. It was so much  _ different  _ from all the bases back in the smp - natural wood and warm, glowing lanterns giving the base a cozy, lived-in feel. This wasn't a place constructed quickly out of stone and necessity. No thought or expense had been spared, no miniscule detail overlooked. Love had been carved into every wall hewn from the tree, a silent  _ thank you _ to the world for giving Jordan a place that would be safe, a place that felt  _ familiar. _

The tree itself felt so natural and  _ alive, _ George thought, but overwhelmingly so - like it wasn't quite part of this world. A memory or ten from another realm, melded together and plopped into Dream's world without a second thought. It definitely felt like the captain, George decided. Slightly mysterious and otherworldly, but warm and welcoming to those allowed to see inside. It was a reminder of the beauty that could be found in wilderness, that land didn't need to be tamed, subdued, and prepped for ugly sprawling stone structures. It felt like the captain had simply  _ asked  _ the world for a home and it had granted his request with warm, welcoming arms.

George shook himself from his thoughts as Sapnap stumbled, throwing out an arm to keep him from face planting on the stair.

"Woah there, I gotcha" said Dream easily, taking one of Sapnap's arms and looping it around his own shoulder. Sapnap shot them a grateful smile and leaned heavily on Dream as they made their way all the way up to the top floor of the tree.

Jordan busied himself with starting a fire in his fireplace and distributed bread and water bottles to the hunters, eyebrows knit together as George and Sapnap all but collapsed onto his couch.

A worried look flitted across Jordan’s face. "Are you sure you guys aren't hurt? I have plenty of healing potions if you need them."

"Nah, just tired" responded Sapnap, yawning immediately after almost to prove his point.

"Move  _ over _ Sapnap" Dream grumbled, approaching the couch. The black haired hunter was so tired that he didn't even bother complaining and simply shifted to the left, allowing Dream to sandwich himself between his two friends.

Jordan sat across from them and exhaled heavily. "If you guys are feeling up to it, I think we should probably talk some more."

He got shrugs and nods from the hunters. Dream put a protective arm around each of his friends on either side of him, Sapnap leaning his head on Dream's shoulder -  _ you're so clingy Sapnap.  _ George mirrored Sapnap’s movements but took one of Dream’s hands into his own, tracing gentle lines over his fingers and knuckles as Jordan began to speak.

“Schlatt will be fine with you not coming back?” he began carefully, testing the waters.

“He's old, he'll have forgotten about us,” Sapnap said with a dry laugh “But if not, it doesn't really matter. He knows Dream calls us in on all sorts of things, don’t worry, cap.”

“I still don't like you two being so close to him” Dream sighed, arms tightening around his friends just a little.

“Dream, it's fine. We'll be okay,” George assured him, still playing with his fingers. “He doesn’t suspect a thing, and if worse comes to worst, Sapnap and I are much stronger and better fighters than him.”

“I don’t want it to come even  _ close _ to the worst case scenario” Dream muttered, shifting in his seat. “That's what worries me. I think we don't give Schlatt enough credit.”

“You're being paranoid,” Sapnap mumbled into Dream’s shoulder “But if it makes you feel better, Gogy and I will stick together whenever we're by him, alright?”

Dream opened his mouth to protest but George cut him off. “You said it yourself, Dream, it's useful info we wouldn't be getting otherwise.” Jordan was silent, a crease between his eyebrows as he listened to the hunters’ exchange.

“I know, I know, it's just-” the masked hunter yawned and raked a hand through his hair, George making a sound of indignation as Dream’s hand left his grip. With a fond smile Dream pulled Sapnap closer to him and interlaced his and George's fingers again, George letting out a small sound of contentment as Dream traced his thumb back and forth over the calloused skin of his hand. 

“- I don't know if anything is worth putting your lives on the line for.”

“It's for everyone else’s lives, Dream, and it's our choice” Sapnap said softly.

“You can't protect everyone from the world Dream, as much as I know you'd like to,” Jordan added quietly with an unreadable expression.

_ He can read me like a book, even through the stupid mask _ . Dream looked away as he felt hot tears of frustration pricking his eyes. “Is it so bad that I just want to keep them safe?” he whispered, not trusting himself to speak at full volume.

“No,” Jordan responded, voice gentle and eyes sad. “It's not a foolish thing to want to protect those that you love. The world just has a way of making it much harder to do that.” Everyone went quiet at that, the silence only broken by the continuous crackling and popping of the fire.

“It's your choice guys,” Dream finally sighed, But I don't like it. I really don't like it. Can we - change the subject now? Something less serious maybe?”

“Yeah cap, let's hear a story!” Sapnap said a little too enthusiastically, eager to move on from the conversation.

“Only if I get one in exchange,” Jordan answered with an easy grin.

“Sure,” Sapnap replied, shrugging his shoulders. “What kind of, I dunno, pranks or battles did you have with your friends back in uhhh - Man, no May - wait.”

“Mianite,” Dream supplemented.

“That one,” Sapnap agreed.

Jordan was quiet for a moment, lost in his thoughts.  _ Gods, there was so much, wasn't there? So many friendly fights and skirmishes, pranks and the like but.. _

“We used to have what we called purges” he offered, deciding it was one of the easier things to talk about.

“Purges? That sounds dangerous,” George commented offhandedly.

Jordan shrugged. “In a way they were, but that world had respawn so it wasn't a big deal if you got killed - other than the fact that'd you'd lose your loot.”

Jordan dove into his explanation of the purges, the rules and alliances that were constantly shifting, the fantastic gear he’d gained from it, how much of his redstone knowledge came from the impenetrable vaults he’d constructed. Most importantly, he talked about his friends - Sonja, Tucker, Tom, Waglington, Karl...friends that were so close they were practically family. Friends who had adventured with him, fought alongside him, made Mianite into less of a world and more of a home. Jordan missed them like a lung, something the hunters picked up on quickly, but reliving his memories helped. 

“But what kinda crazy shit have you three gotten up to?” Jordan asked when he’d finally exhausted his most entertaining stories. “I'd bet anything that you guys have participated in infinitely more dangerous activities.” 

Dream let out a loud wheezing laugh at that. “We haven't done it for a while, but there's a little game we used to play called manhunt…”

“The name alone sounds inherently dangerous,” Jordan noted with a crooked grin.

“It is,” Dream answered cheerfully, launching into an explanation of the game, occasionally stumbling over his words as he talked excitedly, brain moving faster than the words spilling out of his mouth. George and Sapnap simply leaned into their friend, content to listen to him ramble about the crazy stunts they pulled. Jordan was a fantastic listener, gasping at particularly dangerous plays, shaking his head with a grin as Dream recounted his many narrow escapes. It made a comfortable scene, each side reminiscing on happier, simpler times, gaps between worlds bridged by the sharing of stories. 

When Dream finally finished, George and Sapnap were half asleep and basically sprawled on top of their friend. 

Jordan only had one question to ask. “So...how does respawn work in this world?”

Dream tensed up. “You don't need to worry about that right now.” Sapnap and George shot each other tired yet meaningful looks, but didn’t say anything. It wasn’t their question to answer.

“I think I do need to worry about it, Dream” Jordan pushed, steepling his fingers together.

“I said not now, captain” Dream insisted, voice dangerously low. 

Jordan stared at the infuriatingly blank smiling mask, took in the hunters piled on one another, and told his brain to stop worrying about the war.  _ Only for this moment. _

“Not now,” he finally nodded in agreement.  _ But soon  _ his short statement seemed to say.  _ You can't keep secrets forever, Dream, not if you want to win this war. _

“It's been a long day,” Jordan said instead. “Feel free to make yourselves at home, one floor down has plenty of beds and everything you need.”

“Sleep is a good idea,'' Dream agreed, moving to stand up and ignoring his friends’ grumbles. “We have an early morning tomorrow, lots of training on the agenda. Up you get George, you too Sapnap.” 

The two shot Dream a dirty look but got off the couch, stretching and yawning. “G’night, cap” Dream called, leading the hunters out of the room.

“Night,” he responded, but as usual, Jordan’s thoughts were anywhere but the present. He needed to talk to Dream about this realm’s magic, needed to talk about the greater threat hanging over all of them, needed to pray to his lady for guidance. But it  _ had _ been a long day. All of these things could wait for another time. So Jordan put out the fire in the fireplace, dimmed his lanterns, and went to sleep.

-

Dream laid in his bed staring up at the exposed wood of the ceiling, George and Sapnap’s light snores the only sounds permeating the deafening silence. He knew he should be asleep, but it was only getting harder and harder to let his body rest as tensions in the realm kept increasing. A thousand thoughts raced through his head - Sapnap’s voice gasping  _ it’s kill on sight;  _ the captain’s knowing look  _ you can’t protect everyone from the world _ ; Techno and his sister disappearing as they pearled away -  _ had they even made it to Pogtopia?  _

And then there was the issue of his magic. The captain was a smart man, and Dream could tell that Jordan had already figured out what Dream was hiding from him, at least in general terms if not specifically. It was the last thing he wanted to think about, but the imminent battle on the horizon was making it hard to ignore. It’d been so long since Dream had manipulated the mechanics of the world, and with fewer people around too - he wasn’t sure if he had the same level of control as before. 

_ You know who you could ask, he’d have the answers.  _ Dream closed his eyes and exhaled, his own thoughts betraying him.  _ He’d be able to help with the Wilbur situation too,  _ his mind argued.  _ Plus he’d be another person to protect Tommy and Tubbo.  _ The blond rubbed his face under his mask.  _ Maybe I’ll give him a call. It’s been too fucking long. _

Dream’s mind refused to let him sleep. So he didn’t. He’d be fine. He’d have to be fine.

-

At the crack of dawn, Dream climbed out of bed, shaking his head in an attempt to clear the fog in his brain that was a result of his staying up all night. 

“George! Sapnap!” he hissed “Get up!” When he only got muffled groans from the two, Dream took a more direct approach and launched a few well-aimed pillows at their beds. 

“ _ Dreammm,”  _ George complained, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “Why are you  _ like this?” _

“You’re so  _ mean,  _ Dream,” Sapnap agreed, yawning as he chucked a pillow half-heartedly at George’s head, the latter letting out a small yelp as it hit him.

“Oh,  _ c’mon  _ you guys,” Dream groaned “Just get up already, you’ll live. I want all of us to get in a few hours of some good practice with the captain before you have to head back.” The two hunters continued to grumble but finally obliged, getting out of bed and strapping on their netherite armor. 

“Oh good, you’re awake!” said Jordan cheerfully walking into the room, his smile widening as George and Sapnap immediately ceased their complaining at his appearance. When he turned to face Dream, that smile fell as he took in the way the masked hunter held himself. His shoulders were slumping, his netherite armor seemingly weighing him down more than usual. Jordan would bet a stack of diamonds that his porcelain mask was hiding dark rings and bloodshot eyes. The captain sighed quietly but didn’t say anything, knowing that Dream would simply brush off his concerns. 

“Are we all ready to go then?” Dream asked, ignoring the way the captain was looking at him.

“I’m all set to go, I have some packs prepped too so we can eat on the move,” Jordan answered, shrugging the bag at his side higher on his shoulder. Dream gave a satisfied nod and drew his axe, then led the group outside. 

The journey back to the training area felt much quicker to Jordan this time, probably because this time he had the hunters’ friendly banter to distract him from his own thoughts. The clearing was still in the configuration from Drista and Technoblade’s fight, something that Dream nodded in approval at. 

“Ok captain,” Dream started. “I want to go over two things with you, some hand to hand combat and practice with crossbows. I figured we could start with pvp because George and Sapnap can participate, that way they can head back to the smp while we get you more comfortable with a crossbow.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jordan shrugged.

“We’ll split up into two teams, George with me and Sapnap with you,” Dream continued, the others nodding at his words. “Same rules as before, no maiming, no killing, and focus on axe and shield use, alright?”

Jordan nodded again, his heart rate beginning to speed up at the prospect of a fight. Dream’s very presence seemed to do that to him more often than not, the confidence and intensity in the masked hunter’s voice only adding to his adrenaline. 

“Now before we start, I want to clarify something. I know it sounds weird but in pvp, skill doesn’t matter - it’s one hundred percent strategy.”

Jordan frowned at that, but Dream only grinned in response. “Guess, I’ll have to convince you, captain,” he said cheerfully, drawing his axe and equipping his shield. Jordan and the other hunters mirrored his movements, then moved to their team’s respective sides of the clearing. 

Jordan learned three things very quickly - Dream was ridiculously competitive, his skills were clearly unmatched by everyone else in the clearing, and he laughed. _A lot_. He and George began their attack immediately and without mercy, pressing forward in a familiar rhythm, taking turns engaging with Sapnap and Jordan. George and Sapnap’s axes struck each other with a resounding  _ clang _ that echoed through the glade, and they backed away from each other, contemplating their next moves. 

“C’MERE GEORGE” Sapnap hollered, deciding to pursue the other hunter up and over the numerous wood piles scattered throughout the clearing. George vaulted easily from pile to pile, pausing on top of one to block a heavy hit from Sapnap. Sapnap had swung so hard that his axe was now embedded in George’s shield, so the latter merely slipped his arm from the straps that held the shield to his arm and threw his entire weight against it, pushing his shield and Sapnap off the wood pile. Sapnap landed heavily on his own shield, sending a shock of pain through his left arm, so he shrugged off his own shield and yanked his axe out of George’s shield, then made his way back to where the other hunter was about to join Dream’s fight against Jordan. 

Eyes narrowed and chest heaving, Sapnap pushed himself forward and swung his axe out in a wide arc, George narrowly avoiding its sharp edge. 

“ _ Sapnap!” _ he exclaimed, rolling his eyes and falling back into a fighting stance, axe poised and held at the ready. “That could have  _ killed _ me.”

“Don’t be a baby,  _ Gogy, _ ” the other hunter teased, beginning his attack, the duos’ axes becoming a blur as they fought for an upper hand in the fight.

Meanwhile, Jordan had kicked into survival mode as Dream landed an endless barrage of axe hits on him. For every hit he managed to connect with the masked hunter’s axe or shield, Dream landed two or three more. 

“How are you  _ this _ good?” Jordan exclaimed, sprinting away from the blond and vaulting onto a wood pile on the opposite side of the clearing from George and Sapnap’s fight. Dream simply let out a loud laugh, and strolled over to him, casually swinging his axe as he approached.

“You can’t run forever, captain,” Dream teased, his voice dropping an octave, walking even closer to the wood pile. 

“No, but I can do this” Jordan shot back, landing a heavy blow to Dream’s shield and leaping off the barrier, leaving the masked hunter’s left arm shaking at the impact. 

“Oh  _ c’mon now, _ ” Dream complained “That was uncalled for, captain.”

Jordan merely shot him a grin, and readied himself for another inevitable attack.

“Hey George,” Dream called as he advanced on Jordan with a devilish smirk that promised a bitter defeat for the captain “Now would be a  _ really  _ great time for you to start trying.”

George rolled his eyes, cheeks flushed red with exertion as he kept his axe locked with Sapnap's, the two hunters at an impasse. “Very funny, Dream.”

At that, the masked hunter let out a chuckle and became a blur of motion, pressing forward with an even more vicious attack that ended with Jordan disarmed and laying on his back, Dream’s axe at his throat. Dream quirked an eyebrow up and cocked his head as he waited for the word that would have him remove his weapon and let his opponent up.

“Yield,” Jordan gasped “Yield _ godamnit _ .”

Dream grinned and extended a hand out that Jordan took gratefully, the hunter heaving him off the ground in one smooth movement.

“How did you guys  _ do that? _ ’ Jordan asked incredulously, leaning over to catch his breath.

“Most of it was choosing when to engage and when not to,” Dream said easily, tossing his axe high into the air and catching it before it could hit the ground. “That and I’ve fought both alongside  _ and  _ against George and Sapnap so many times I’ve lost track. We have good chemistry and I know their fighting styles. Like I said, it’s all about strategy. Good job guys, by the way,” he added, as the two hunters made their way over to where Dream and Jordan were standing.

George shrugged, face still pink from fighting. “We all know that I’m better than Sapnap.”

“Oh c’mon George, I definitely won that,” Sapnap protested, wiping away the sweat from his forehead.

“We tied you idiot.”

“Well if I’m an idiot, then you’re a-”

Jordan shook his head at their antics. “You guys are crazy.”

Dream grinned. “You’re finally starting to understand, captain! Now, ready for round two?”

Jordan exhaled but nodded, retrieving his axe and shield. They spent the rest of the morning that way, changing partners from time to time, and slowly but surely, Jordan got used to the fighting style of this new world. Come noon, everyone in the group was exhausted and dripping with sweat, so they paused for lunch before Sapnap and George left for the smp.

Dream pulled his best friends into a hug before they could depart, ignoring their protests -  _ get off Dream, you’re so sweaty _ and  _ god, what a simp _ . 

“Stay safe you idiots,” he mumbled into their shoulders “And if  _ anything _ happens-”   


“We know, you’ll fuck shit up,” Sapnap interrupted, ruffling Dream’s hair fondly, then recoiling at the sweat that came away on his fingers. “Ewww, you need to shower dude.”

“Aw shut up,” Dream said with a crooked grin, pulling away from them. “You stink too, now get outta here.”

George raised a hand in a half-wave and readjusted the glasses perched on his head, then jabbed an elbow into Sapnap’s side. Sapnap waved too, and the duo left, their good-natured bickering fading as they disappeared from sight. Dream exhaled heavily to ground himself -  _ they’re smart, they fight well, they’ll be safe _ \- and turned to Jordan, eyes gleaming behind his mask.

“Ready to learn the ways of the crossbow, captain?”

Jordan shrugged “I’ll always prefer my bow, but if you insist, I can humor you for a while.”

Dream pulled out two crossbows, handing one to Jordan as he began to explain what their plan was for the rest of the day. “We’ll start with some target practice for you to get more accustomed with the weapon, and then we’ll try combining it with axes and shields in pvp,” he decided. 

Jordan hefted the weapon in his hands, frowning at its weight. His bow not only was much lighter, but it had a more natural grip than the crossbow. With a bow, Jordan felt like he was in complete control - fingers wrapped comfortably around the rounded wood, shoulders tensing as he pulled back the bowstring to his desired tautness, jaw clenched as he released arrows with deadly precision. The crossbow felt like too much of a machine, too automatic, too disconnected. Jordan didn’t like it, but Dream insisted it was better in this world.

“Taking your time is most important, both on the battlefield and especially while learning. Accuracy over speed for now, but the goal is to eventually combine them, ok?” Dream continued, casually firing a bolt into the center of one of the hanging targets.

“Show off,” Jordan muttered, but there was no venom behind his words. They focused on target practice for about an hour, Dream taking the time to adjust Jordan’s grip on the crossbow, give him pointers on his stance, and get him familiar with the weapon. When he was able to hit more targets than he missed, Dream deemed him ready enough for more combat practice.

The two took their places on opposite sides of the clearing, skirting behind the wood piles for cover, Jordan automatically going on the defensive. Dream took a more forward approach, firing his own crossbow at the captain, advancing on his position while easily dodging Jordan’s stray shots.

Jordan sprinted behind another wood pile, reloading his crossbow when he figured he was far enough out of the masked hunter’s range. He peaked out from behind the barrier, shield raised as a precaution but he heard and felt the telltale  _ thump _ of a crossbolt impaling his shield. “How did that hit? How did that hit?” he exclaimed, exasperated. Dream only laughed and backed away, Jordan losing sight of him as he darted behind the wood piles.

“What the f- what in the  _ world?”  _ Jordan spluttered as Dream silently appeared behind him, landing a combination of axe and crossbow hits, dancing out of the way when Jordan attempted to retaliate.

“Why is my axe not hitting?” he complained, only receiving more laughter from Dream. Jordan shot at the hunter, but Dream easily blocked it and bounded forward, sweeping Jordan’s feet out from under him before the man could react. 

“Gg” he smiled, dissolving into laughter again, helping the captain to his feet.

“I swore I swung at you twice!” Jordan protested, mouth hanging open in awe. Dream shrugged, that damned cocky smile gracing his features. “How do you  _ do _ it?”

“I just, I- one of the things I’m best at by far - at least out of anyone I’ve fought - is timing.” Dream tried to explain, stumbling over his words in his eagerness. “So like I’ll, I’ll notice based on like your body language when you’re about to attack and then  _ I’ll  _ be able to attack. Then that way I get you between your shield blocks, I feel like that’s something that -”

Jordan cut him off “So basically you’re a god.”

Dream wheezed with laughter but didn’t deny it “I promise you cap, most of it is strategy”

“Got it,” Jordan muttered not unkindly “Makes sense.”

“Well,” Dream tried again “It’ll be like somebody, like especially as an example - let’s say you’re chasing and then I see you switch to your crossbow preemptively. I think _ why would he be on his crossbow? He’s going to turn around, _ so I’ll block my shield, you’ll turn around and miss or hit my shield, and I’ll attack. So it’s little things like that.” Jordan only shook his head in disbelief, so Dream gave him another notably less wordy example.

“Or like, when I’m chasing you, your head’s up because I know you’re looking, and when you look down I know that you’re about to turn around.”

“You’re insane, man” Jordan sighed, rubbing a hand tiredly over his face “I don’t know how your brain does it.”

“Oddly enough, I’ve heard that one before” the masked hunter replied with a cocky grin. “But I think we’ve made good enough progress today.”

Jordan nodded. “If you mean you’ve gotten tired of beating me mercilessly into the ground, then yeah, it was a productive day.”

“Nonono captain, you’ve actually already gotten better, trust me. You have years and years of experience, it’s just a matter of old dog, new tricks, y’know?” Dream said defensively, refusing to let the captain downplay his skills.

“If you say so” Jordan shrugged, but feeling marginally better at the hunter’s reassurances.

“Tell you what, there’s plenty of time to get in more practice on your own, but I need to go check in with Pogtopia” Dream continued.  _ I need to know that they’re still safe, that nothing has happened to them _ is what he really wanted to say, but he pushed down his worries. “I left the netherite in one of the chests in your guest room, you’ll want to update your gear as soon as possible. Jordan nodded appreciatively - that would be a good project to keep his mind off of less pleasant topics.

“Stay safe, captain,” Dream finished, rifling in his bag for an ender pearl. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Be careful out there,” Jordan replied, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. “You’re not invincible, kid.”

Dream nodded and raised two fingers to his forehead in a now customary salute, then launched an ender pearl towards Pogtopia, smiling a little as he felt the familiar twist in his gut as he was teleported away. 

Jordan stared at the spot the hunter had disappeared from for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to the training area. He spent the rest of the day there, practicing with his crossbow and axe until the last of the light had faded, and he was forced to retire to his base. In the days that followed, Jordan crafted his netherite armor, made occasional trips to secretly scout out the smp, and continued to visit the glade, pushing himself until the weapons felt more familiar than not, like they were mere extensions of his limbs. 

Jordan felt as comfortable as he possibly could, given the rising tensions in the smp. Battle wasn’t far on the horizon but the hunters had proven themselves to be incredibly adept at fighting and even Jordan’s own skills had improved. He almost felt...confident. 

And then he met Schlatt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reminder that this fic is tagged canon divergent for a reason lmaoooo. the events of yesterday were WILD and have def given me ideas for some future chapters, but i'm not gonna follow canon too closely. anywho, thanks to maddie for beta reading and to anyone else who i've bounced ideas off or yelled at in dms. we're approaching finals in uni but i'll try to keep to at least one update a week - things really kick off in this story with the next chapter👀 hope all you lovelies enjoy! <3


	9. Chapter 9

It was supposed to be a normal day for Jordan. Train in the morning, scout out the smp, then return home to brew potions or gather more supplies if Dream didn’t have anything else for him to do. And the day  _ had _ started normally, for the most part. Jordan rose early and went to the training area to get in some more practice with his crossbow - which was going much better than he expected - then returned to his base to retrieve his netherite armor and additional weapons. After a quick break for lunch, he headed for the main area of the smp where he spent most of the day flitting between treetops and rooftops, keeping a wary eye out for any skirmishes or war preparations. As with the days before, the smp was quiet with little to no activity. 

Jordan sighed and pulled his bow off his back, then descended lightly from the tower he was currently stationed at. Dream had tried to convince him to start bringing his crossbow with him to these stakeouts, but he had refused.  _ I trust my bow more _ he had told the masked hunter, the latter sighing and shaking his head, but not pushing the matter any further. 

When his feet touched the ground, he paused as an odd swooping sensation made its way through his stomach.  _ Maybe I should take the path out of L’Manburg instead of sticking to the treeline.  _ Jordan frowned -  _ where the hell did that thought come from?  _ It was an idiotic idea, especially given the fact that Dream didn’t want anyone outside of Pogtopia even knowing that Jordan existed. But it was impossible to ignore the nagging voice in his head that  _ something’s about to happen, _ so he made his way to the main wooden path instead of his usual furtive way out of the smp. 

It  _ was _ a beautiful day to take the main path, Jordan had to admit. The sky was a brilliant blue, the bright sunshine warming his shoulders as he made his way down the rather exposed walkway. He paused to adjust the red sunglasses perched on his nose and looked back up, blood running cold at the sight of a lone figure opposed to him on the path.

The man - if you could even call him that - was dressed in a sharp black suit, the tailored fit cutting an imposing figure. The suit wasn’t what worried Jordan. The large black ram’s horns protruding from the man’s head -  _ those _ worried him.  _ This was JSchlatt. Well shit.  _ Jordan had stopped walking as soon as he had caught sight of Manburg’s president, but Schlatt continued his approach until he was a few feet opposite the captain. 

“Who the  _ fuck _ are you?” Schlatt demanded, incredulity dripping into his voice as he took in the mere  _ audacity _ of the idea that some stranger could traipse around his nation without his knowing. 

“A traveler,” Jordan offered with a tight lipped smile. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be on my way -”

“Not so fast,” Schlatt growled. “What’s your name,  _ traveler ?” _

“They call me captain. That’s all you need to know,” Jordan responded, determinedly keeping his face neutral. A shadow flitted over Schlatt’s face and his eyes gleamed, causing the hairs on the back of Jordan’s neck to stand up. He didn’t like the way Schlatt spat out  _ traveler  _ \- there was something in his voice that sounded so  _ familiar _ , something that suggested he knew  _ exactly  _ who the captain was. 

“I think I need to know more about you, dear  _ captain _ , before I let you wander willy  _ fucking  _ nilly across my land.”

“Do you?” Jordan asked in a dangerously low voice, a hint of purple flashing in his eyes as he tightened his grip on his bow.

Schlatt flinched, stammering as he backtracked, “I’m sorry - that was rude of me.” The strange shadow passed over his face once more, and his voice changed from a stutter to something smoother and  _ darker _ , his next words flowing over one another like silk. “Let me apologize to you, dear captain - I spoke in haste. How about we meet for lunch? I have an offer that may...be to your advantage…”

Jordan frowned, absentmindedly rubbing at his jaw as he considered Schlatt’s invitation. On one hand, it seemed utterly foolish to meet with the enemy leader he was helping to take down,  _ especially _ given the fact that no one knew where exactly Jordan was. Hell, he didn’t even know  _ where _ the meeting would be, much less whether or not Schlatt would have backup. He could fight his way out of a situation if need be, but Jordan didn’t like the idea of being the one to escalate the tensions in the smp to a breaking point. 

But he could still hear that nagging feeling voice in his head. This was potentially more ammunition for Dream, for their side. This was information  _ directly from Schlatt  _ that would be ten times more valuable than the little Jordan had gained about their war preparations from his scouting escapades. This meeting could give him knowledge that could be the difference between life and death. Plus he could test out his sneaking suspicions that there was more to Schlatt than what initially met the eye. 

Not to mention that Jordan was curious- what kind of offer would Schlatt have?  _ I don't want to get too involved _ , he remembered telling the hunters. Maybe this was different enough, just a matter of circumstances that he was supposed to take advantage of. There also wasn't any guarantee that Schlatt would simply let Jordan leave if he refused the meeting invitation. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jordan sighed. 

“I assume you want to meet now?” he finally asked, already expecting Schlatt’s reply.

“You read my mind, Sparklez,” Manburg’s president smirked, a knowing smile dancing across his lips. 

Jordan’s frown deepened -  _ how did Schlatt know to call him that?  _ \- but he slowly nodded. “Alright. We can meet.”

“I knew you wouldn't be able to resist,” Schlatt winked, pulling a communicator out of his pocket. When Jordan raised his eyebrow at the other man’s action, Schlatt explained. “Just letting a few people know where to meet. We wouldn’t want any assassinaton attempt or coup shit to happen during our meeting, now would we?”

Jordan shook his head, an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. There was something weird about Schlatt, something downright  _ unsettling _ , but he couldn’t figure out exactly what it was. The two fell into silence as Schlatt led them to their destination, an ugly smirk gracing his features as he glanced at Jordan from time to time. 

It wasn’t long until they reached what Schlatt dubbed “the whitehouse”, a rather nondescript building on the border of L’Manburg. The figure waiting for them, however, was anything but nondescript. The man was wearing dark robes and a cloak with red detailing, an enchanted netherite sword hanging casually from the leather strap that crossed his body. His skin was an unnatural grey color and his hood hid his face, all of his features in shadow except for a pair of glowing white eyes. 

“Hi Schlatt!” the man said brightly, his higher pitched nasally voice a stark contrast to his appearance. “Ooh - who’s this with you?”

“Oh this guy, BadBoyHalo,” Schlatt waved a hand dismissively, “Is Dream’s secret weapon. We’re having a little chat.” 

“I see,” the man said thoughtfully, expression hidden under his hood. “Welcome to Manburg, I suppose! George and Sapnap are already waiting for us. It wasn’t easy wrangling those muffin heads away from their training.”  _ Shit  _ Jordan thought, panic already welling up in the back of his throat.  _ All of the hunters are here, if any of this goes south Dream is going to kill me -  _ he swallowed hard -  _ this is such a dangerous game for them to be playing.  _ Jordan wasn’t granted much time to dwell on these thoughts, as Schlatt and Bad were already making their way inside the white house. 

They walked down the sparsely decorated main hallway in silence, and Bad gestured for Jordan to follow them into a side room. Similar to the hallway, the room was decorated for the sake of utility - that is to say, not at all. A few lanterns adorned the columns on the walls, their flickering light causing shadows to dance across the large table that took up most of the room. Jordan noted with dissatisfaction that the room only had one visible entrance - the door they’d come through. More than ever, he hoped that this meeting would go smoothly and not have to end with violence.

Quiet murmuring caught Jordan’s attention as he continued to take in his surroundings. George and Sapnap stood close to each other, casually leaning on pillars with their swords sheathed, their conversation coming to a halt as the trio entered the room. They didn’t however, Jordan noted with satisfaction, make any attempt to straighten their posture or come to attention at Schlatt’s presence, something that the president didn't seem particularly concerned about.

“Yeah yeah, spare the formalities. Let’s get this shit started,” Schlatt directed, his black eyes glinting as he took a seat at the head of the table. 

Jordan followed his directions, glancing at Sapnap and George as he pulled out a chair. They both wore the same face of mild disinterest but Sapnap raised one eyebrow almost imperceptibly.  _ If you really need to, _ his face seemed to say,  _ you have permission to kick our asses. _

George shifted a little against the pillar, a movement that only Jordan seemed to catch. To the casual observer, it appeared he was trying to find a more comfortable position as adjusted his shoulders and casually put a hand in his pocket. In reality, his hand was gripped tightly around his communicator, secretly thumbing a message to Dream. His fingers danced rapidly over the keyboard he’d memorized, muscle memory taking away the need to see which buttons he was hitting.  _ js meeting w/ cap. 3 hunters here probs ok 4 now. will update if ur needed.  _

“Join me,” Schlatt said suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room.

“I’m sorry?” Jordan asked, taken aback.

“You heard me, _sparkly dick_. Join me instead of Dream like these three did,” Schlatt repeated, black eyes glinting dangerously as he laced all but his pointer fingers together, bringing the tips of them to his mouth.

“I don’t understand,” Jordan responded calmly, seeing if he could play the innocent traveler card. His thoughts, however, were racing at the use of the crude nickname.  _ No one in the smp should know my full title, no one but Technoblade. And that nickname specifically... _ There was only one person who ever called Jordan that, only one  _ god _ brash enough,  _ flirty  _ enough to get away with it.  _ Dianite.  _ Jordan flicked his gaze over to the hunters trying to gauge their reactions, but they only looked slightly confused.

“Don’t play stupid with me, dear captain,” Schlatt continued dangerously. “I know that you’re already in kahoots with Dream, but I can offer you more.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jordan insisted, the lie rolling off his tongue with ease.

Schlatt acted like he hadn’t heard him. “Y’know, it wasn’t easy getting Dream’s best friends and hunters to join me, but look where they are now, captain. They’ve chosen the right side of history. I’ve got all of the weapons and loot you could ever want. ”

“I don’t take sides as simple as that,” Jordan frowned. 

“Some things never change,  _ glitter lap _ ,” the president chuckled darkly. “ You’ve never liked taking sides, have you?” the president asked, a devilish grin darting across his features. 

“Why do you keep calling me things like that?” Jordan demanded, hackles rising.

“Does it bother you?” Schlatt asked with an amused smile, it’s warmth not meeting his eyes. “Is it a little too... _ familiar _ ?” 

Jordan didn’t bother responding, but his eyes narrowed as the shadow over Schlatt’s face seemed to disappear for a moment and the man’s voice almost got  _ lighter _ . 

“Alright  _ captain _ , let’s settle something real quick. Why the  _ fuck  _ are you in my country and what  _ exactly  _ are you gaining from siding with Dream?”

“You said it yourself, Schlatt. It’s true, I don’t like taking sides and I  _ especially  _ don’t like taking sides for the sake of taking a side,” Jordan’s tone dropped both in pitch and volume, and he continued to speak in a low voice that was barely more than a whisper. “Balance is what decides whether a nation stands or falls, Mr. President. Balance is  _ always _ the deciding factor, an ever present impartial judge that’s above the petty conflicts of men. It’s not always the easy path or the pretty option, but it’s the fair route. Balance is the only side I’ll ever choose, Schlatt,” he finished, eyes flashing purple for a moment. 

That broke Schlatt’s façade of superiority. “Hey, hunters - who the  _ fuck  _ is this guy? Do you know anything about him?” he asked hurriedly, voice increasing in pitch.

George and Sapnap just shrugged, the mask of indifference on their faces not quite translating to their now rigid postures. 

“I’ve never seen him before today, JSchlatt,” Bad chimed in helpfully. 

Schlatt narrowed his eyes in suspicion but didn’t say anything, decidedly unnerved by the captain’s intensity.  _ It doesn’t really matter who this guy was,  _ he thought to himself.  _ Maybe I’m just being paranoid. It definitely doesn’t sound like he’s on my side but I have Dream’s hunters. That’s gotta be enough, they have to be more dangerous than this captain jackass. _

“Allying yourself with Dream gives you some very dangerous enemies, captain,” Manburg’s president warned, shifting slightly in his seat.

Jordan shrugged but said nothing, watching Schlatt with an eagle eye when his demeanor shifted as a shadow flickered across his face yet again. The president no longer looked intimidated, and instead wore that infuriatingly knowing smirk. There was something definitely  _ not right  _ about the man, and Jordan needed to figure it out before the stupid meeting was over.

“Perhaps I haven’t made myself clear enough,  _ sparkly pants, _ ” Schlatt started again, grinning as Jordan winced at the nickname. “ _ I _ make the rules here. You’re alone in this world. There’s no clever fox or idiot zombie boy to help you out. This world doesn’t have a lovely pirate lady to die for your cause, no poster boy with wings to convince you you’re fighting for the greater good. You’re alone, dear captain,” he finished in a sickly sweet voice. 

All of the blood drained from Jordan’s face as realization hit him like a brick.  _ Sonja, Tom, Capsize, Andor...no one here would know of them.  _ But Schlatt did. Schlatt knew because he wasn’t just Schlatt. Everything made sense, everything clicked  _ exactly _ into place all at once, and Jordan hated that it did. The personality changes, the nicknames.. _ gods why hadn’t he realized it sooner?  _ Those nicknames were Dianite’s nicknames for him, sometimes endearing and sometimes mocking, but always Dianite’s. Each and every name that spilled from Schlatt’s mouth was from a different time - more specifically, a time when Dianite had been corrupted by the Shadows.

The Darkness took many forms - the Shadows, World Historian, itself - but Jordan was a damned  _ fool  _ for thinking he could just leave it on the isles. It was here now, in this realm. And Schlatt was it’s host.  _ That _ Jordan wasn’t entirely surprised by - Darkness was very much manipulating Schlatt into being even  _ more _ of a villain. Power hungry people fell easily to whispered promises of glory and control, blinded by their ambition, which made Manburg’s president the perfect host. It also made the war infinitely more dangerous. 

Jordan had been able to save his friends before, but this time he hadn’t known that Darkness was here before throwing himself into everything. This time, he didn’t have a goddess on his side readily available to sacrifice herself to keep the realm balanced. This time, the war was being fought by primarily  _ children,  _ and there were so many more lives at stake. Any illusion of composure Jordan had managed to fake had left.

"Ahhh, you’ve finally figured it out.” Schlatt said with Darkness’ gravelly voice. Dream’s hunters all turned to face him, eyes widening in confusion and alarm. “I’m here captain, and the stakes have only gotten higher. I know all about the little  _ family  _ you’ve found in this realm. I’m going to give you one more chance. Join me or else I'll do to them as I’ve done to so many worlds before."

For only the briefest of moments, Jordan was tempted. Tempted to sink to his knees, sink to his rightful place, and pledge himself to the Darkness.  _ I’ll be your loyal servant, my lord. Just don’t hurt them.  _ Everyone would be  _ safe  _ and Jordan would have a new master to serve, one who wouldn’t abandon him like his goddess had - it would be  _ balanced -  _ in it’s own fucked up way _. _

_ Balance.  _ The word washed over him like a bucket of ice water, relieving him from his moment of weakness. Darkness never brought balance, only destruction. But  _ fuck _ it knew exactly how to appeal to Jordan, knew exactly how to make him teeter unsteadily on the tightrope between light and dark he walked daily. Jordan refused to fall.

“You should know this by now,” he started through gritted teeth, standing up and placing his fists on the table. “I’m never going to join you. Not when there’s a chance that balance can be restored.”

“Get off your high horse and just shut  _ up _ , man” Schlatt complained, voice going back to normal as the telltale shadow left his face. “George and Sapnap, get this asswipe the  _ fuck  _ out of my country. Bad, you’re with me, we have better things to attend to.” 

“Tread lightly, Schlatt,” Jordan called as he left the room escorted by the two hunters who had drawn their swords, ignoring their looks of concern. 

“Go fuck yourself,” he heard yelled from the room as they walked down the hall, Schlatt’s exclamation quickly followed by a hushed  _ language! _ from Bad. Jordan shook his head and exhaled harshly. Darkness in the smp had far too many implications for his liking, but one thing was clear. He needed to meet with Dream, and he needed to meet with Dream  _ fast. _

“What the  _ hell  _ just happened back there, captain?” Sapnap all but hissed when they were a reasonable distance from the whitehouse. 

“It’s too much for me to explain to you right this instant,” Jordan started, rubbing a hand over his face. George bit his lip as he noted how much more  _ stressed _ the captain seemed, and he’d bet his life that it had to do with the strange things Schlatt had said at the meeting. 

“I’m fine to leave from here,” he assured them, “But get a message to Dream ASAP. We need to meet. Tonight.” George nodded and pulled out his communicator, fingers flying over the keyboard as he notified Dream of the latest developments. The masked hunter hadn’t responded to his last message, but George tried not to worry about it.

“Both of you need to try to avoid Schlatt  _ as much as possible _ from here on out,” Jordan continued, the combined intensity of his voice and gaze leaving no room for George or Sapnap to question his orders. “Stay safe, and I’ll see you later tonight,” he finished, taking his bow off his back. At the hunters’ nods, Jordan threw them a two fingered salute and took off for the treeline, grateful for the cover. His plan to head back to his base, however, was quickly thrown to the wind when he heard screaming. 

_ Tubbo. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little shorter than usual i think but i think it ended at a good cutoff point :) also if you've ever read my other writing you can probs tell that there are definitely certain tropes that i love to include lmao. HUGE THANKS to firefly for sharing the dianite/schlatt nickname idea - that literally fueled this chapter so this one's for you <3 also shoutout to maddie for beta reading and inflating my ego by quadruple opeing her way thru my messy writing, ily babe. thanks for reading everyone, new chapter should be out within the week. (we may or may not be seeing some more familiar faces soon 👀) love y'all <3


	10. Chapter 10

Jordan didn’t bother wasting time trying to run and instead immediately pulled out an ender pearl from his pocket, launching it in the direction the scream had come from with a well aimed flick of his wrist. The pearl teleported him into a tree near the fight, the sounds of yelling and weapons clashing immediately assaulting his ears as he grasped desperately at branches in an attempt to slow his fall.  _ How the hell does Dream do this so effortlessly? _ Jordan cursed, breathing heavily as his hands finally found purchase around a large tree limb. He winced as he pressed himself flat against the tree and the rough bark dug into his hands, but it got him to a good vantage point.

Drista had her back to Jordan’s position in the trees, facing someone with dark hair that he didn’t recognize. The two didn’t look too worse for wear but appeared to be in a standoff, sword clashing against twin axes. A sudden motion much closer to Jordan’s hiding place drew his attention, and he let out a soft gasp as Tubbo came into view. The younger boy was slowly limping away from someone with his sword raised, his gait uneven as he heavily favored his left leg, Tommy nowhere to be seen. Jordan finally caught sight of Tubbo’s pursuer and recoiled as he took in an orange flash of matching fox ears and a tail. _ Sonja?  _

“Fundy, on your left!” Drista’s dark haired opponent yelled, sparing a glance from his standoff as Tommy suddenly lunged forward into the clearing with his sword drawn.  _ Nevermind then. Apparently everyone neglected to tell me that Fundy was half fox.  _ Jordan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting his hand drift down to the bow at his side and silently stringing an arrow. All of Schlatt’s -  _ Darkness’ _ he corrected himself - teasing had brought his memories of the Mianitian realms to the forefront of his mind. 

It was distracting, to say the least, Jordan noted as a stray arrow from Drista suddenly cut through the foliage, mere inches away from grazing his shoulder. It didn’t seem to be intentional but Jordan pressed himself closer to the tree, ducking his head slightly. Fundy had managed to mostly parry Tommy's blow away but Jordan could see a slash of red blooming across his shoulder. Tommy moved back so he and Tubbo were back to back with their swords flicking out. Like Tubbo and Drista, Tommy’s body was also free of any armor, plenty of cuts and bruises decorating his arms accordingly.  _ What the hell are they doing? _

“I thought you said this would be easy, Quackity,” Fundy growled but backed off, ducking as Drista fired another arrow from her crossbow in his direction with one hand, the other raising her shield to ward off a blow from Manburg’s vice president. The half-fox retrieved his own bow and fired a quick shot at Drista, the latter wincing and letting her axe drop slightly as it barely grazed her right bicep. Quackity took the opportunity to dart forward with his own sword, it’s tip cutting across the portion of her forehead not protected by her mask. She hissed and ducked down low, kicking Quackity’s feet out from under him to buy her enough time to whip out an ender pearl and teleport in front of Tommy and Tubbo. 

“You two, stay behind me,” she directed as they regrouped, wiping the cut across her forehead with one hand, a streak of red left shining against the white porcelain of her mask. Tubbo was looking especially pale and still favoring his left leg heavily but he nodded, jaw set resolutely. Tommy rolled his shoulders back and winced - something Jordan noted to himself to check on later - but his eyes burned with an intensity that put soul fire to shame as he shifted back into a fighting stance. 

Fundy made his way to Quackity’s side and strung an arrow to his bow, pointing it directly at Drista. Jordan silently moved an ender pearl from his bag into his hand, hands sweating as they gripped the smooth, cool surface. He couldn’t risk getting caught up in a skirmish this soon after meeting Schlatt, but if this confrontation went any further south...Jordan couldn’t let this many kids get hurt. A sudden shower of purple particles obscured his view of the clearing for a moment, but when they cleared, Drista was nowhere to be seen and Tommy and Tubbo were left back to back. 

Jordan brought his arm back, ready to launch his pearl, but the arrival of two more people had him lower his hand again. George and Sapnap came into the clearing with their own weapons drawn, joining Fundy and Quackity in encircling the duo.

“What do we have here, Fundy?” George asked, expression unreadable behind his white sunglasses. 

“We found them messing around on the outskirts of Manburg and chased them here. You heard Schlatt, it's kill on sight.” Quackity answered quickly, apparently intimidated by the presence of the two hunters. 

George shot Sapnap a look. “That's true...so why haven't you killed them yet?”

Jordan’s stomach turned. He trusted George and Sapnap - mostly - but these were Tommy and Tubbo’s  _ lives _ on the line. Questions like that were dangerous. 

Fundy looked slightly abashed “They can kinda fight…”

“They're literally kids and you can't outmatch them?” Sapnap asked, voice raising in incredulity. Internally, his thoughts were racing, jumping from scenario to scenario. They’d be in big shit with Schlatt if they handed this incorrectly, but they’d be in even  _ bigger  _ shit with Dream if anything happened to Tommy and Tubbo under their watch. 

Quackity laughed nervously “Well  _ you're _ the hunters. You're here now so you guys can take care of it- right fellas?” 

“So are you fighting literal children because you’re just that bad or do you two just have bigger issues to unpack?” Drista broke in, suddenly appearing and casually strolling between George and Sapnap to place herself back in front of Tommy and Tubbo. Her braid was more disheveled than earlier, a signature teal colored zip hoodie hanging open over the rest of her black attire. Jordan noted with mild interest that while Tubbo and Tommy’s clothes were riddled with slashes, hers were impeccable except for the sweatshirt. In her absence, Drista had apparently swapped one of her netherite axes for a much larger crossbow that was strapped securely to her back.

Fundy and Quackity were taken aback by her sudden intrusion and shifted subtly, preparing to fight once more.

“Well actually Fundy definitely has some abandonment issues going on,” Tubbo offered helpfully. “He and Wil-”

“ _ Tubbo _ you can’t just  _ say _ that,” Tommy shrieked, dissolving into laughter. “And I’m not a child,  _ Drista.  _ I am a very big man and I have lots of women and friends. Women friends.” 

“Shut up, Tommy. I'm trying to keep you from getting killed,” Drista snapped, rolling her eyes tightening her grip on her axe.

“Well that’s a new one because usually it’s the opposite way round,” he muttered, trailing off when Drista glared at him. 

Fundy took their arguing as an opportunity to strike, but Drista’s axe was at his throat in a flash. "We're gonna rethink that move, yeah?” she asked with a dangerous grin, one that turned into a frown as Quackity’s sword hit her shoulder but glanced off. Sapnap wrenched Quackity back and George moved to Drista’s side protectively, bending down slightly.

“Are you ok?” he murmured quietly, giving her a quick once over. Drista was like a little sister to the rest of the hunters, seeing her take a blow like that was jarring to say the least.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she reassured him, meeting his worried gaze. “He might not be though,” she added, shifting her own gaze towards Sapnap and Quackity.

“Are you fucking dumb?” Sapnap exclaimed, releasing Quackity from his grip. “That's  _ Dream’s sister,  _ dumbass. You think that Schlatt can make your life a living hell? Try hurting his sister again. I dare you.”

Quackity cowered away from the two hunters, but Fundy stepped forward, eyes flashing.

“Well what the fuck do you want us to do then? Schlatt wants these bastard kids dead but you two seem intent on preventing that from happening.”

“Listen here you little fox  _ fuck _ ,” Drista started venomously, jostling George to the side as she pulled the crossbow off her back. “Does this look familiar?”

Everyone fell silent as they took in the formidable weapon that Drista held with one outstretched hand. Runes of enchantment were carved into every available surface of the crossbow, dark blue lapis lazuli dust filling each of the etchings to give it it’s power. The crossbow itself was much bulkier than the usual standard weapon, extra reinforced to handle the magic that rippled across it with a soft purple glow. The real coup de grace was the firework mounted where an arrow would usually sit. This wasn’t any crossbow. This was -

“ _ Technoblade’s crossbow _ ,” Tubbo gasped from behind Drista. “Drista, how did you-”

“Let’s just say I’m his biggest fan,” she said nonchalantly, lips curved upward in a smirk. “Now boys, do you want to know what a firework to the face feels like, or are you going to let us go about our day?”

“Fine. You can go,” Fundy said, glaring at Drista. “But George and Sapnap are going to accompany you until you’re outside the bounds of the smp. And don’t think we’re not telling Schlatt about this,” he added as Drista chuckled and swung the crossbow onto her back once more.

“We’ll see you soon,” George nodded, dismissing Fundy and Quackity, then turned to the rest of the group. “You heard them, time to get moving.”

Jordan took that as his cue to descend from his hiding place, only doing so when he was sure Fundy and Quackity were gone. His arrival resulted in Tubbo gasping  _ captain _ with an uncharacteristically guilty look in his eyes, Jordan only giving him a tight smile in return. 

“Thanks for stepping in,” he began, speaking to George and Sapnap. “I can take them from here. I need you two to find Dream as soon as possible. I have no clue where he is but we need him back here  _ tonight.” _

Sapnap nodded. “We’ll take you guys to one of the safehouses on the edge of the smp and then Gogy and I can go look from Dream. Is everyone here good to walk?” he asked, glancing at Tubbo’s leg.

“I have enough pearls for everyone,” Jordan interrupted, already distributing them. “Tubbo, how do you feel about piggyback rides?”

The younger boy’s eyes widened slightly, and he took a step back, wincing slightly as he put too much weight on his injured leg. “I’ll be honest, captain, I don’t mind them but that won’t - that won’t be necessary,” he laughed nervously.

“You’re barely able to stay upright, kid” Jordan argued “and Fundy and Quackity could be on their way with more reinforcements. I don’t want to risk getting caught in that. Do you trust me?” he finished, meeting Tubbo’s eyes with a level gaze.

Tubbo swallowed hard but relented. “Yeah - yeah, I do.”

“Then that’s settled,” said Jordan, handing him ender pearls and bending down so Tubbo could wrap his arms around his neck. Jordan gingerly picked up each of Tubbo’s legs, motions slow to avoid causing him any more pain.

“Don’t drop him big man, or you’ll have to deal with me,” warned Tommy with a mischievous grin.

“Now’s  _ really _ a good time for you to stop talking, Tommy” Drista advised, noting the way Jordan’s eyebrows had drawn together. “Let’s just get moving guys.”

Tubbo tightened his group over Jordan’s shoulders as George and Sapnap led the way, bringing the group to an inconspicuous stone building that was only a few stories high. 

“Food and other supplies are all on the first level, beds and rooms are all over the base,” George began, listing things off with his fingers. “If anything happens, there are tons of tunnels that lead out of this base to other places and safehouses in the smp - Drista probably knows them best.” Jordan’s gaze flicked over to Dream’s sister who nodded in confirmation.

“We’ll check Manburg and Pogtopia to see if Dream’s back yet,” Sapnap continued, his voice low. “We might send Technoblade over if we catch him, but we’ll do our best to be back by dark with Dream.”

“Alright, sounds good,” Jordan nodded, shifting slightly to boost Tubbo higher on his back.

“Wait, dude - Sapnap,” Drista broke in “Can I borrow your headband?”

Sapnap took on a face of pure confusion, bringing a hand up to touch the strip of cloth in his hair. “Uhhhh why?”

“Pleeeeeease? I swear I’ll give it back,” she answered, avoiding the question.

Sapnap shook his head with an amused smile but untied the band and handed it to Drista. “Whatever, kid.”

“Stay safe you guys,” said Jordan, face dead serious. “I mean it.”

George and Sapnap nodded, and drew more ender pearls from their bags.

“And fair warning, Dream is probably going to hand your asses to you when he hears about this” George added, inclining his head towards Tommy. “So have fun with that. Bye for now.”

With that, the two vanished in a swirl of purple particles and Jordan sighed tiredly. “I’m getting a strange bit of deja vu right now, but let’s just get all of you inside and cleaned up first.”

Drista showed them inside to an infirmary type room and Jordan gently set Tubbo down on one of the beds, then busied himself with collecting healing potions and bandages. 

“Drista you take care of Tommy’s injuries - they don’t look too bad. And don’t forget to clean up that gash on your forehead. It looks pretty shallow to me but you’ll want to at the very least clean it and bandage it,” Jordan directed, gently rolling up the bottom of Tubbo’s left pant leg, revealing a long nasty gash.

“I think it looks cool,” protested Drista, dabbing a healing potion on Tommy’s cuts with a little more force than necessary, ignoring the daggers he was shooting her.

“Your brother won’t agree with you,” Jordan argued, beginning to clean the wound in front of him.

“Eh fuck him.”

Jordan snorted but kept working, gingerly dabbing the long gash on Tubbo’s leg with a variety of healing and regeneration potions, wincing sympathetically when the younger boy hissed in pain. He managed to keep his thoughts to himself while he worked, occasionally giving directions to Drista as she patched up herself and Tommy. After more pestering, she did eventually clean and bandage the cut on her forehead, then wrapped the headband she’d borrowed from Sapnap around her own head. When Jordan was satisfied with Tommy and Tubbo’s state, he stood up and exhaled heavily, turning his back to the younger group. 

One breath in, one breath out. He turned around.

“What the  _ hell  _ were you doing out there?” 

This was the angriest any of them had ever seen the captain. His voice was so low they had to strain their ears just to make out what he was saying. The air around him seemed to  _ crackle  _ with some unseen energy, feeding off his agitation. The telltale purple ring around his irises was practically glowing, but Jordan’s face was eerily calm, a stark contrast to the intensity prominent in his eyes and voice.

“I just, we were just-” Tubbo began weakly, falling silent when he made eye contact with Jordan.

“You could have gotten yourselves  _ killed _ ,” he continued, voice beginning to raise. “You were going to put that on Dream?” Tommy and Tubbo flinched, Jordan had hit a nerve. “He’s basically your older brother, whether you like it or not.  _ Everything _ he’s been doing since the election bullshit has been for  _ your  _ benefit, everything he’s done has gone towards the purpose of  _ keeping you safe _ . And you almost threw all of that away, just so you guys could have a little outing?”

Tubbo was silent but Tommy swung his legs over the side of the bed he was currently sitting on, and made his way to his feet. In any other scenario, the height difference between him and the captain would be slightly comical. For now, no one was laughing. 

“You’re right,” Tommy began in a strong clear voice, eyes flashing. “We said  _ fuck all _ to everything Dream’s done for us. Let me say - I mean this in the nicest possible way - but you must be a real  _ moron  _ if you thought that Tubbo and I would sit around and wait for  _ Dream _ to solve all of our problems.” Jordan frowned but said nothing, not wanting to interrupt while Tommy was all worked up.

“We’re in the middle of a fucking  _ war _ , captain. Tubbo and I may be kids but we have our own roles to play. I’m the bloody  _ vice president _ , Tubbo’s the secretary of state.” Tommy was practically vibrating with energy as he stood defiantly, hands gesturing wildly. “We’ve been fighting for L’Manburg since Wilbur decided to found the bloody nation. We aren’t about to sit by and do nothing to help while our country falls to ruins. War isn’t  _ safe _ , captain. It’s time for you and Dream to stop pretending that it is.”

“He has a point,” Tubbo added softly. “We may be kids but we’re not completely innocent, captain. We’ve seen what happens in war, you won’t always be there to protect us.”

Jordan sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. “I know where you guys are coming from, and I know you have your duties and commitment to L’Manburg. But you’re no use to anyone if you’re dead. Yeah, we have to take risks from time to time, but we want them to be as calculated as possible.” The aura around Jordan seemed to falter, now only wavering with a quiet kind of energy. 

“Going within the smp borders without letting anyone else know when Schlatt  _ literally  _ has a kill order hanging above your heads was a stupid risk to take. You’re lucky that Drista and the hunters were there to diffuse the situation because the two of you very likely would have  _ died.” _

Jordan paused, posture rigid as a deafening silence fell over the room. The severity of Tommy and Tubbo’s actions finally seemed to hit them, and Jordan let out a silent sigh of relief. 

“Safety isn’t guaranteed in war, Tommy, but Dream and I will be  _ damned  _ if we let something take away your chances at a better future without putting up a fight. We care about you guys, ok? So just...don't pull this kind of stunt again, ok?”

Tubbo and Tommy exchanged a look but nodded meekly, not wanting to push the subject any further. “Alright, captain,” Tommy said in a small voice. “We’re...we’re sorry.” 

Jordan nodded, expression softening, and decided to move on. “You guys sit tight here, Drista and I’ll go keep watch for Dream and the hunters. I’ll - I’ll try to keep Dream from lecturing you too much, but no guarantees.” The duo nodded gratefully and Tommy made his way back over to Tubbo’s bed, drawing his knees up to his chest when he sat down.

Jordan and Drista left the room together silently, both lost in their own thoughts. Jordan went to the rooftop while Drista took the entrance to the base, and as Jordan kept his eyes on the horizon, he only had one thought.

_ Where the hell was Dream? _

\---

Dream was in a far corner of the realm. So far, in fact, he realized with a pang of regret, that his communicator was rendered useless. He thumbed a message to George nonetheless -  _ calling in a favor with an old friend, should be home tonight _ \- figuring that it could send when he was back in range of the smp. Pocketing his communicator, he turned his attention to his surroundings. 

A well groomed dirt path wound from the treeline Dream was currently standing in through a luscious green field, leading to a sprawling property with multiple barns, gardens, and crop farms. He steeled himself momentarily and took off on foot, eventually coming to the main house on the land. 

A figure was sitting casually in the front yard, his dark green kimono flowing onto the ground as he sat sharpening miscellaneous tools. A black coat lay discarded next to him, the article of clothing oppressive in the hot sunlight while a battered bucket hat sat on his head, keeping the sun out of his eyes. 

Dream cleared his throat when he was within hearing distance and the man’s head shot up, giving him a glimpse of blond hair, watery blue eyes, and a scruffy beard.

“Dream,” the man said, pausing his motions. “It’s been a while.”

“Philza, hi,” Dream said carefully, trying to gauge the other man’s reaction to his sudden appearance. “It  _ has _ been a while.” 

“I assume this isn’t just a friendly visit, a “Hi Phil, just in the neighborhood and wanted to drop by” kind of chat?”

Dream gave him a dry smile. “You know me too well.”

“I would hope so,” Phil muttered, standing up and brushing off his knees. “Come inside?”

Philza’s house was a low sprawling stone affair, accented with raw wood and an abundance of lanterns. The low ceiling gave it a homey kind of feel, but it’s wide open floor plan made it feel too empty for Dream’s liking. All of Phil’s land, really, felt a little  _ lonely _ \- like there should be more people exploring the vast expanses of farm, field, and forest. In another time, maybe, Dream could see Tubbo and Tommy sparring with wooden swords in the wheat fields; Wilbur sitting on that stump at the edge of the treeline, plucking at his battered guitar while Techno sat with his back to a tree, engrossed in a heroic tale of old while Phil fussed about with the farm and the animals. It was land that was supposed to be filled with people, love, and laughter. 

As they made their way inside, Dream remembered a conversation he’d had with Tommy, the night after Wilbur had nearly blown up L’Manburg. 

“Tubbo and I were ready to run away, y'know,” Tommy had said, sitting on that bench of his that overlooked the smp, one of his music discs playing quietly in the background. It was one of the rare occasions where Dream wasn't wearing armor, one of the few signs he could give to convince Tommy that he was trustworthy.

“It’s always been the two of us versus the world, Dream, but we’re tired of it, y’know? We’re just kids man, all the fighting is fucking exhausting.” The masked hunter hadn’t said anything, not wanting to interrupt this side of Tommy that he rarely got to see. 

“There’s a place where we could go,” Tommy had continued a little wistfully, all of his exaggerated confidence and bravado gone. “The fields stretch out for ages and it has the best lake for swimming and fishing. And there's a whole forest bit where Tubbo could take care of his silly bees too...it’d be nice I’d reckon” he had finished quietly. 

Dream hadn’t known what to say. He’d rubbed a hand on the back of his neck awkwardly, trying to find something to say that conveyed what he was thinking but didn’t sound too shallow. “You could go,” Dream had finally offered, glancing at Tommy. “No one would judge you for it, and I’d keep your location a secret, if you wanted.” They were silent for a moment, the quiet music in the background accompanying the slowly setting sun. 

“But if it means anything,” Dream had added in a rush before he could convince himself otherwise “I’m glad you two are here. The smp wouldn’t feel the same and….I’d - I’d miss you,” he’d confessed. “You two are like little brothers to me.”

“Yeah we couldn’t-” Tommy had paused and exhaled “we couldn’t just walk away.”

Dream would bet his life that Tommy was talking about Phil’s land.  _ Maybe one day, maybe once this is all over, they can run away. They can go home.  _

“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” Philza offered, interrupting Dream’s thoughts.

“Oh - sorry I’m good,” the masked hunter blinked hard, trying to focus back on the present.

“Suit yourself,” Phil shrugged, leading them over to a small cafe table next to a window that offered a lovely view of the lake that neighbored his farms. 

“I assume you’re here about the captain?” Phil asked gently, settling into his chair.

Dream went to nod but shrugged instead. “Yes and no. I figured you would have felt his arrival too.”

Philza looked curiously at the blond twenty something year old sitting in front of him for a moment, understanding almost immediately dawning on him. “You’re really here to talk about world mechanics.”

Dream nodded, confirming Phil’s suspicions. “The captain’s seen a lot of worlds, Phil,” he started quietly. “He knows about magic and respawn and world manipulation, he just doesn’t know what exactly  _ I  _ can do.”

“You don’t want to tell him,” Phil stated simply. 

Dream let out a small groan of frustration. “It’s not just that...it’s just,” he paused, preparing himself to admit the one thing he’d refused to let his own thoughts dwell on. “I  _ can’t  _ tell him because  _ I  _ don’t know the extent of my powers anymore.”

“You haven’t messed with respawn since so many people joined the smp,” Phil guessed, eyes raking over Dream’s mask as if he could read his expression. “You were able to reverse death itself when it was just you and your hunters in this world, but now you’re not sure if it’ll still work.”

“Exactly,” Dream sighed. “Everything with weather and requesting items is still the same, hell I can still fly if I really want. But I don’t know if I can just snap my fingers and bring people back anymore. And given the whole war thing…”

“You want to be sure that you can bring someone back in case anything were to happen,” Phil finished for him. 

Dream nodded and ducked his head, hot tears pricking his eyes behind his mask. “I just-” his voice faltered so he stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I couldn’t live with myself if anyone here  _ died _ and I had the power to save them but couldn’t. Do you know of anything that could, I dunno, confirm what I can do?”

Phil was quiet for a moment, rubbing at his jaw pensively. “I’m not sure -”

“Phil,  _ please,” _ Dream interrupted. “You’ve literally manipulated worlds into the form and shape you wanted while you had no guarantee of coming back if you died. You may not be as well traveled as Jordan, but you have to know  _ something _ .”

“I won’t pretend to be an expert in this area, Dream,” he started, holding up a hand as the masked hunter went to speak again. “But I can make educated guesses based on my experiences and what I know. You were here first on this smp, you hold the very power of the world in your hands. I think that you’re so closely tied to the realm that if something happened and you really,  _ really  _ wanted to change it, the world would grant you that. As for confirmation, the most legitimate confirmation would come from someone dying and you working your magic.” 

“However,” Phil continued, raising his voice over Dream’s protests. “I don’t think that’s something we want to go about doing. Maybe try it on a few mobs and see what happens, that’s probably your best option. But I do think you need to tell Jordan about what you can do.”

“I - yeah, yeah alright. Thank you,” Dream sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “There’s just...one more thing. With everything happening in the smp - I just want to protect the younger kids and” he fumbled over his words “any support you could give would be, y’know. And Techno would be happy to see you, Wilbur too I think, especially after what happened last time you saw him-”

“You don’t have to try and convince me of anything, Dream” Phil said quietly, meeting the eyes of his mask with a level gaze. “All you ever have to do is ask.” 

“Consider this me asking, then,” Dream said quietly, bracing himself on the table and standing up. He extended a hand out intending to shake Phil’s hand as a goodbye, but the older man bumped his hand to the side and pulled the hunter into a brief hug instead.

“I’ll be there tomorrow,” Phil promised, releasing Dream with a light clap on his back, frowning when he stumbled slightly. “When’s the last time you got a full night of sleep, mate?”

Dream shot him a rueful grin. “I’m okay,  _ dad, _ ” he teased “Don’t worry about me.”

Phil sighed and muttered  _ fuckin’ idiot  _ under his breath but didn’t argue the matter. “I have a few things to get together, but you should get on your way now,” he started, nodding at the sun that was beginning to dip on the horizon. “If I know them at all, your hunters are going to be worried about you. I have a feeling your communicator is going to be blowing up with messages as soon as you’re within range of it’s signal.”

Dream nodded and ran a hand through his tousled hair. “You’re right,” he admitted. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he finished, drawing his axe and extracting an ender pearl from his pocket. Phil raised one hand in farewell and Dream was off, the usual tugging feeling in his stomach as the pearl teleported him back towards the smp. 

Phil stood there for a moment staring at the spot Dream had disappeared from but finally shrugged and headed back inside, shaking his head a little.  _ These kids are going to be the death of me. _

-

Dream was halfway through a stack of pearls and the sun was nearing the horizon when his communicator finally decided to alert him of all the flurried messages his friends had sent him in his absence. He paused in his travels for a moment, perching in an oak tree as he scrolled through all of the updates, frown lines becoming more pronounced as he took in all that he had missed. He didn’t attempt to comment on what George, Sapnap, and Bad had sent him or answer any of their questions. Instead, his thumbs tapped out a single, short message.  _ Coords? _

A crooked smile broke out beneath his mask as his communicator was flooded with more messages along the lines of  _ what the fuck dude  _ and  _ oh thank god you’re not dead  _ and  _ don’t ever go silent on us again you muffinhead.  _ A set of coordinates did eventually come through, so Dream adjusted his ender pearl throws accordingly, bringing him to a forested area at the edge of the smp where George and Sapnap were waiting for him.

“Dude what the  _ hell, _ ” Sapnap yelled by way of greeting, pulling Dream into a hug. 

Dream grinned and hugged him back . “Sorry, sorry I’m an idiot. I didn’t remember to send you guys a message until I was already out of range of the smp, but by then it was too late.”

George shook his head and pulled Dream into a hug of his own, squeezing him a little tighter than Sapnap had. “I take it you went to see Phil?” he asked, pulling away. “He’s the only one I can think of who lives so far away.”

“Yeah,” the masked hunter confirmed, beginning to follow George and Sapnap to the safe house. “I had some questions about world mechanics and figured he was the best person to ask.”

The other two hunters nodded in agreement, coming to a stop when they could just barely see the torch light that illuminated the stone building through the foliage.

“Tommy and Tubbo were a little banged up,” Sapnap warned “but I’m sure the captain has already seen to th-”

“Wait - Sapnap,” Dream interrupted, eyebrows furrowing together. “Where’s your headband _? _ ”

“Oh that?” the hunter grinned sheepishly. “Your sister stole it from me. Well really she just asked and I handed it to her but-”

“ _ Drista _ was in the fight  _ too _ ?” Dream interrupted again, voice going up an octave as they came to the entrance of the base. “Oh they are so dead.”

“I’m the reason they’re  _ not  _ dead, asshole,” Drista called cheerfully, descending from a nearby tree, her figure barely visible in the twilight.

“What happened to your face?” her brother asked in an exasperated voice, taking in the bandage that Sapnap’s headband didn’t fully cover.

“It’s just a scratch,” Jordan confirmed, coming out of the safehouse. “She’ll be fine. She did almost get a sword directly to her shoulder earlier, I don’t know how the hell she wasn’t hurt by that.”

“Netherite armor,” Drista explained cheerfully. “With Dream’s help I just changed the appearance of it a little bit. I know he likes to make a statement with the glowing purple armor, but I think black is more subtle.”

“So your turtleneck and pants and boots - those are all actually netherite?” Jordan asked incredulously.

“Yep! Pretty cool, huh?”

Jordan shook his head in amusement. “Kids these days are something else, I swear. Oh and speaking of kids,” he said turning to Dream as he led the group inside. “Don’t go too hard on Tommy and Tubb0, they’ve already been read the riot act.

“No promises,” Dream shrugged, heading into the infirmary where Tubbo and Tommy sat together on one bed, chatting.

“Hi,” he started casually, smiling to himself as the two stopped their conversation immediately. “I’m glad the two of you are safe,” he continued, pulling each of them into a gentle hug, laughing a little at the confused expressions on their faces. 

“I know you’ve already been lectured so I’m not going to draw it out,” he explained, voice turning serious “But if you ever do anything like that again, I’ll kill you, bring you back to life, and kill you again. Got it?"

Tommy and Tubbo nodded quickly, not daring to question how true Dream’s statement was. 

“Alright, we’re all good then. I have some things to attend to, try not to be idiots. That means you Tommy.”

Dream let out a loud wheezing laugh as he left the room, Tommy’s protests and indignant noises falling on deaf ears. Jordan was waiting for him at the base of the staircase that lead up to the roof of the building, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Dream, I think it’s time we had another talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (hi there) sorry for the delayed update, this chapter had a lot of parts to it that i was stuck on getting jusssst right so it took a bit longer than usual. i'm in my last week of classes and the two following weeks are finals so i don't know exactly when the next chapter will be up, but it's a chapter that i've been excited to write since october (someone special may be showing up soon👀). (also how the hell are we at 10 chapters this is nuts) as always, much love to maddie for beta reading and topaz for drawing my faves and vav for always inspiring me when im stuck and much love to all of you for all of the wonderful support! you guys are the best <3


	11. Chapter 11

Dream's stomach dropped immediately at the captain's serious tone, but he met Jordan's eyes with a level gaze of his own, nervous expression hidden under his mask. His mouth twisted into a half sort of grimace, though, and the masked hunter nodded sharply, his shoulders automatically straightening to match the other man's own rigid posture.

"Let's take this to the rooftop, ok?" Jordan murmured in a low voice, casting his gaze down the hallway, making sure it was deserted before speaking again. "This isn't a conversation meant for everyone to hear."

Dream swallowed thickly and nodded once more, following Jordan as he led them up the closet stone staircase. The base, like so many others in the smp, had been constructed out of necessity with only functionality in mind. They hadn't had the luxury of time to spend on comfort or decor while building the safehouse. It wasn't meant to be a home. It was meant to be a battle station. The unwelcoming atmosphere of the place sent a chill down the back of Dream's neck as they ascended the stairs to the roof. The stairwell was rather dark and cramped, illuminated only by the torch that Jordan held out in front of him. Dream reached out a hand, letting it trace over the rough, slightly damp mossy cobblestone that made up the walls, the cold stone keeping him tethered to reality as he tried to collect his thoughts while they walked in silence.

Tommy and Tubbo had gotten hurt. Again. His own sister had risked her life getting them to safety. Again. Something had happened while he was visiting Phil. Something significant enough for Jordan to call this meeting with an unreadable expression and tension visible in each and every one of his limbs. The hunter suspected that this conversation wasn’t going to be easy or light-hearted in any regard. Jordan would want to know about Dream's background, the world mechanics, Dream's powers. He'd want to know  _ more _ . Dream wasn't sure if he was ready to be known. 

Jordan for that matter was silent too, lost in his own thoughts as their heavy footsteps echoed through the small stairwell. Too much had happened in too little time. This was the second time Tommy and Tubbo had gotten hurt - even though Drista was there to help fend off Schlatt's cronies, Sapnap and George had barely been able to get the damned kids away from Fundy and Quackity. On top of that, there was the issue of Schlatt's flip flopping personality, all but confirming Darkness' presence in the smp. Dream's mysterious disappearance that he had yet to explain nagged at Jordan's mind as well, yet another problem to pile on the fact that the captain hadn't figured out who his goddess was - that his memories still eluded him. Hell, he'd barely found time to even ponder the issue with all of the chaos running rampant in the smp. This conversation could help with some of those things but it wasn't going to be enough. Jordan wanted someone who had all the answers. He knew he wouldn't get one.

As they came to the rooftop, Jordan pushed open a heavy door, shivering slightly as a gust of wind forced its way into the safehouse. The roof itself was a flat affair, the only protrusions being the stairwell they'd come from and a low wall lining the edges of the building. Silver moonlight swathed their surroundings in a cold sort of light, throwing harsh shadows of tree silhouettes haphazardly across the roof. Dream made his way over to a more illuminated part of the wall, swinging himself onto it in one smooth movement and letting his legs dangle into the night.

Jordan leaned down and extinguished his torch against the cold stone near his feet, leaving a dark smudge of soot on the ground that seemed to swallow the bright moonlight. He stood up quickly and discarded the no longer lit torch, wincing as his joints groaned in protest. Ignoring the slight pain, he made his way over to where Dream sat and cautiously eased himself onto the ledge alongside the hunter, taking much more time and care to get comfortable.

"So," Jordan started, clearing his throat when the word came out as more of a rasp.

"So," Dream agreed, shifting to rest his chin on his hand, the leather of his fingerless gloves cool against his skin. His usual bright green hoodie was much more muted in the dim light, the enchanted netherite chestplate over it emitting a soft, purple glow.

Jordan sighed and stared out into the dark surrounding forest, his own netherite armor feeling heavier than usual as he tried to figure out how the hell to start the conversation.

"A lot has happened the last few days, wouldn't you agree?" Jordan finally decided on saying.

Dream shrugged. "I can handle it."

"No," Jordan said simply. "No, I don't think you can."

Dream turned to face the captain at that, exhaling heavily before he spoke in a low voice. "I think you underestimate me, captain. This is  _ my _ world. I call the shots. And I've got it under control." The hunter cursed internally as his voice wavered on the last word and Jordan's eyebrow quirked up.  _ Fucking hell, he doesn't let much slip by him, does he? _

"You don't have to keep up that cocky facade around me, Dream. I know you're scared. I'm-" Jordan paused for a moment, wondering if admitting his own fears was the right thing to do. He decided it was. "I'm scared too. But we need to be completely honest with each other, once and for all. Ok?"

Dream was silent, staring forward unblinkingly as he twisted one of his silver rings around his finger. 

Jordan let out a small groan of frustration and raked a hand through his hair. "Look, kid. I'm not trying to take your world away from you. I'm not trying to tell you what you can and can't do. I want to  _ help _ and I want to keep your people safe. But in order for that to happen, you have to open up. Just a little more."

Dream stayed silent, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood.  _ I don't want to be known but I don't think I have a say in that anymore. At least not with this. _ As the metallic taste coated his tongue, he sighed and took his hand out from under his chin. A flick of his wrist sent a small knife shooting out of his sleeve into his hand and he sat there for another moment in silence, fidgeting with the small weapon.

"Allowing yourself to be seen, to be  _ known _ on the smp is dangerous, captain," Dream started, still fixated on the silver blur that the knife had become as he deftly spun it between his fingers and around his knuckles. "Especially for someone like me," he continued, words beginning to tumble from his lips as he tried to explain himself.

"I've been here since day one, cap. I've always been the one who knows what's going on, knows how to solve the problems, can snap my fingers and fix everything in an instant. I'm supposed to be the leader, I'm supposed to know what the hell is happening. And yeah, I  _ don't _ know what's happening and it's  _ terrifying _ \- but I can't let Tommy or Tubbo or even Drista know. It's not fair to them, to be burdened with my doubts and weaknesses. And I sure as hell can't let Schlatt know that I'm way out of my depths here, that's a fucking death sentence for everyone I care about."

Jordan nodded as Dream sheathed the knife with another flick of his wrist, but stayed silent, letting the hunter continue.

"You know why I wear this mask, Jordan? People on this server  _ don't know me _ . They know I'm not fully human and they know I can kick their asses at the drop of a hat. That's it. They can only  _ guess _ at who or what I actually care about. The mask keeps it that way." Dream exhaled through his nose harshly, raking a hand through his hair as his voice began to raise.

"If no one knows what I'm thinking, they can't predict what I'll do next. They can't tell just how much I care, and that gives  _ me  _ the edge, not them. Feelings are a liability in war, captain, and I can't afford to let anyone capitalize on mine." The hunter slumped as he finished his rant, chest heaving slightly as he caught his breath.

"But those feelings are what motivate you. They're what make you such a great leader," Jordan said quietly.

"I wouldn't say I'm even a  _ good _ leader, not by a long stretch," Dream replied quietly, picking at one of his nails. "I'm too good at running away and too bad at picking the right side."

"You had me convinced otherwise, kid," the captain responded with a half-hearted chuckle, shaking his head. "But I'm serious," he continued, voice hardening. "We can't afford to keep secrets from one another. Not anymore."

"Why?" Dream challenged, sitting up straighter. "You're not innocent here either - you've played the whole mysterious, secretive sent-by-a-higher-power-and-not-quite-human card too, captain. What's  _ changed _ ?"

Jordan flinched. "Schlatt changed."

"What do you mean  _ Schlatt  _ changed?" Dream sputtered. "We already know that he's a ruthless dictator and I've already told you how I feel about him. If he isn't already, that man is unhinged and he's a threat to us all. But I fail to understand what  _ exactly _ warrants me spilling all of the things I've been keeping hidden from you and most of the people of the smp."

Jordan was silent for a moment and tilted his head, rubbing pensively at the stubble that traced his jawline. "How much," he began slowly, "did the other hunters fill you in on what you missed today, when you were off doing gods know what and gods know where?"

Dream frowned. "Most of the messages were them being worried about me but umm...they told me about the uh, the  _ skirmish _ that all the kids got into and that you met with Schlatt, seemed weirded out, and wanted to meet with me. I'm now assuming there's more to the story than what they texted me."

Jordan grimaced. "Yeah. Yeah there's more to the story."

"Well don't be shy, old man. Secrets, secrets are no fun unless they're shared with everyone or some shit like that. Spill."

Jordan snorted at the hunter's response, his own smile matching the small crooked one spreading across Dream's face.

"I met with Schlatt," he started, recalling the busy events of the day. "It wasn't intentional, I think. I just had a kind of gut feeling to take the main path out of the smp instead of the usual hidden way. And he was there. He -" Jordan paused to clear his throat.

"He wanted to get you on his side," Dream guessed in a slightly bored tone, grin fading as he rested his chin in his hand, his thumb worrying at his lower lip. "What an idiot."

"Yeah, he wanted me to join his side. Well, first he wanted me to "get the fuck out of his country" but then he insisted we meet for lunch. All of your hunters were there - I assume they were blowing up your communicator at that point."

The corner of Dream's mouth twitched upward. "It was only George at that point," he confirmed. "He tends to be clingy."

Jordan cracked a smile, the hunter's humorous quips helping to lighten the conversation. 

"I probably would have called this meeting between the two of us even without meeting Schlatt," Jordan confessed. "But the meeting with him made it even more important to. Now - I've never met Schlatt before today but something was off, almost like he had two personalities. One moment he'd be brash and coarse and then the next he'd act more sly, more subtle."

Dream frowned and began fidgeting with his rings again. "Go on."

"I could have brushed that off but...he knew me. Not personally or anything," he clarified as Dream's head shot up. "But he knew too many details from the Mianitian realms that a stranger couldn't just guess at."

"What does it all  _ mean _ , captain? What  _ exactly _ are you trying to tell me?"

Jordan exhaled roughly and stared out at the tree line that was barely visible even under the bright moonlight. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you," he muttered. "This isn't something I ever wanted to have to tell you." He sighed and glanced at Dream who was watching him with rapt attention.

"It appears that Darkness is in the smp."

Dream's eyes narrowed underneath his mask. "Wait - as in  _ the _ Darkness that destroyed your isles and forced you to come here?"

Jordan nodded. "The very same."

"How do you know?" pushed Dream. "How can you be sure it's here?" 

"Schlatt...kept calling me these nicknames that were unique to one particular god in one particular realm. And in that world, said god had been corrupted by the Shadows - essentially Darkness in another form. The nicknames, the personality changes, also the fact that he did the whole "ah you figured it out captain, join me for unlimited power" spiel - it all points to Darkness possessing Schlatt."

There was a beat of heavy silence between the two where the light of the moon gleamed a little dimmer and the shadows of the night seemed to darken. 

"It explains a lot," Jordan continued when Dream said nothing. "From what you've told me, Schlatt seems like the power hungry type, and those kinds of people are the ideal hosts for Darkness. It's presence here also explains why the world would feel out of whack to you and unbalanced to me. Pure, undiluted evil isn't a pretty thing."

"So you're telling me that my three best friends are acting as bodyguards to the physical embodiment of evil incarnate," said Dream flatly.

"Yeah."

"And it's likely trying to tear this realm apart like it did to yours, without a care as to who survives."

"Sounds about right to me."

"I want to pull them out. Now. That's way too much leverage Darkness has over us."

Jordan sighed. "I had a feeling you'd say that and I agree, but I think that that's a decision that has to be made with everyone involved." He held up a hand as Dream tried to interrupt. "I wanted to make sure you knew about it first before we held some sort of war planning meeting."

"It's not just them, captain," Dream clarified, clenching his jaw. "I played it off earlier when I was around them, but the fact that Tommy and Tubbo got roughed up _again_ fucking terrifies me, cap. I also have _literal_ _family_ in this realm-" his voice faltered. 

"I don't know if I could live with myself if anything serious ever happened to Drista. There's just… there are too many people I care about that need protecting, Jordan."

"And I can help with that, I promise," Jordan assured him.

"You just need more information."

The captain's silence all but confirmed the hunter's statement. Dream went quiet, heart beating faster than normal. The other hunters already knew about his powers. Phil already knew about his powers, and even  _ encouraged  _ him to tell the captain about them. But telling Jordan felt like taking a step too far forward that he couldn't go back from. Telling Jordan exactly what he could do would make all of it - Schlatt, Darkness,  _ war _ \- real. Dream wanted to run away.

_ You need to stop with this whole I’m only in the shadows thing and actually pick a side. This is your world, Clay. Take some goddamn responsibility for it.  _ Drista's words from their fight the first time Tommy and Tubbo had gotten hurt echoed in his mind. As infuriating as it was to admit it, she was right. It didn't make it any easier, but at least now he knew what he had to do. He just hoped he wouldn't live to regret it.

They sat in silence for so long that if Jordan was anyone else, he may have thought that Dream had fallen asleep, but he knew the hunter was just taking his time to think. Dream didn't do spontaneous or irrational. Not for important things. And Jordan had just dumped information on him that affected literally  _ everything _ important to the hunter. The captain really couldn't blame the hunter for taking time to process it all.

A sudden movement brought Jordan away from his thoughts and back to reality. Dream had shifted his position slightly, angling his body towards Jordan and kicking his feet lightly as they dangled over the side of the building.

"You're right, Jordan," Dream finally said, rubbing his face with one hand, pushing his mask up and over his head. "No more secrets."

Jordan blinked as he took in Dream's finally unmasked features.  _ Well that was unexpected _ . 

The young man cut a handsome figure in the dim light of the moon, with high cheekbones, a sharp jawline lined with light stubble, and a strong chin littered by several small silver-white scars. A smattering of freckles dusted his features, tanned skin interrupted by a thin silver scar that cut across the bridge of his nose -  _ probably from that duel with Techno _ Jordan's mind filled in helpfully. The hunter's eyes shone a light green in the moonlight with a ring of caramel circling his pupils, crow's feet from twenty some years of smiles and laughter decorating the corners of his eyes.

Jordan's initial surprise at seeing Dream's uncovered face, however, didn't prevent him from missing out on the smaller, less aesthetic details. Dark rings under his eyes indicated too many sleepless nights while frown lines from stress and hours of thinking creased the skin between his eyebrows. His lips were chapped and slightly bitten - the unfortunate result of a nervous habit - and were currently pulled into a slight grimace.

All at once, Jordan understood why Dream wore the mask. He was an open book without it. His eyes were the biggest giveaway. They held the brunt of his emotions, hope and desperation and determination and fear and every other little feeling reflected in light green irises. The rest of his features adapted too quickly to what he was thinking, whether it was the lines on his forehead tightening with stress, eyebrows furrowing together in concentration, or cheek twitching upwards with the hint of a smile. Dream was too expressive, too  _ passionate  _ for his own good. Most of all, he was incredibly and unapologetically  _ human _ .

Dream met Jordan’s eyes, the purple fire that burned there mirrored by the intensity of the hunter’s gaze. “What do you want to know?” he asked quietly.

“World mechanics,” Jordan began, noting the way Dream bit the inside of his cheek. “From what I can tell, this world doesn’t have any gods to hold all of that power that came from the realms creation. Now, every time a world is created, there's a sort of  _ burst _ of energy from all of the matter coming into existence," he explained. "That energy disperses, of course, as time goes by and more people join the world - but that initial surge has to go somewhere."

"And it went to me," the hunter confirmed.

Jordan nodded. "To use Mianitian terms, I'd call you a sort-of demigod. That being said, I can only guess at what that entails."

Dream shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. "It essentially lets me manipulate the world to my liking," he started, choosing his words carefully. "I'm almost… _ tied _ to the world. It lets me know when someone has joined or something significant happens. Usually it's just a kind of gut feeling, your arrival being the only exception - but if I recall correctly, we think that was your goddess' doing."

Jordan nodded but raised an expectant eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"I was visiting an old friend today," Dream said, chewing on the inside of his lip. "Phil lives way outside of the boundaries of the smp and he's the only other person who knows as much about world mechanics and the like as you do. He knows about what I can do - as do the other hunters - so I went to him for advice and he...he told me that I should tell you about what I can do."

"Smart man," Jordan said, nodding his head approvingly. "So what does world manipulation look like?"

Dream sighed and drew his discarded mask into his lap, looking down at the white porcelain glowing in the moonlight. "I can change the weather to whatever I want it to be and I can kind of control who's able to enter the realm - once again, you're the exception there. I can request items from the world in any type or quantity, but that's not something I like to do very often. It feels like cheating."

"And respawn?"

Dream kept his eyes averted and clenched his fists around the leather strap of the mask, fingernails indenting small crescents into his gloves. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Jordan's voice was low, lips set in a thin line.

"I mean I don't  _ know _ , captain," Dream replied, voice just as low. "When it was just me and the hunters in the world, I had complete control over it. We could play our silly manhunt game and if anyone died - even me - I could bring them back. It was easiest when it was just George and I in the world. When Sapnap and Bad joined, it got more difficult but it was still doable. Since more and more people have joined and the world's gotten safer and more developed, it stopped being so necessary."

"You haven't attempted it in a long time," Jordan guessed, features softening. "And you don't know if you still have that level of control over life and death."

Dream nodded, worry stretched across all of his features, and for the first time Jordan could truly see how young the hunter was. "In theory I have the power to save lives, Jordan. And not just any lives, fucking kids' lives. Tubbo, Tommy, Drista - they're all  _ children _ forced into fighting a war."

"So are you," said Jordan quietly, shoulders slumping. "You're even younger than I was when my goddess first claimed me as her champion."

"But I don't have a choice, do I, cap?" Dream replied bitterly, glaring at the black smiley face of his mask that seemed to mock him. "This isn't something I can just run away from, but it sucks, y'know? Gods, if anything happens to anyone in this war, Jordan...if someone  _ dies _ and I can't bring them back, can't save them in time - while  _ knowing _ that I had the power to do so... that's...it's fucking…"

"It's hard," Jordan summed up, empathizing with the hunter. "Being stronger or more powerful is great because it makes it easier to protect the ones you love, but it makes failing them so much worse. Trust me....I've been there...too many times." 

"But between the two of us, a demigod  _ and _ the champion of a god, that  _ has _ to be enough to keep the worst from happening when we eventually go to battle with Schl- Darkness," Dream tried to reason, voice unsteady as desperation gleamed in his eyes.

"This isn’t my battle to fight, Dream,” Jordan reminded him gently. "But I'll be doing my damnedest to support you in any way I can."

Dream nodded, slightly crestfallen, and pushed his hoodie sleeves to his forearms before speaking again, his voice still slightly unsteady. "So how do we do this? You have the most experience fighting Darkness so that makes you our best bet."

Jordan sighed. “We didn’t...we didn’t get rid of it in the isles - but we did in the other world-” he added quickly, noting the dangerous way Dream’s eyebrow had risen. “It always required uh…” he cleared his throat. “It always required a sacrifice.” 

Dream’s eyes were practically burning Jordan with their intensity, his features twisted from disappointment into something cold and calculating. His mind was already analyzing hundreds of different scenarios, weighing pros and cons of different timelines and sacrifices, already trying to piece together a coherent picture of what the future could hold. “Like a human sacrifice?”

Jordan shook his head. “Not quite. As shitty as it sounds, even a human sacrifice wouldn’t be enough to dispel such a powerful entity from a realm.”

“So you’re saying it’d take sacrificing something - err some _ one _ \- more powerful?” Jordan nodded, silently wondering if the hunter had made the connection yet.

“It’d take sacrificing a god.”  _ Bingo.  _ Dream bit his lip as Jordan bowed his head in confirmation. This made things difficult. Not impossible, but definitely difficult.

“How’d you do it last time?”

Jordan frowned. “Last time was much different. Darkness inhibited gods more than it inhibited mortals. The magic in that world was different too - weapons were stronger, gods were more present, closer to their champions…”

“You lost her to the Darkness, didn’t you?” Dream asked, a strangely curious look on his face. “Her sacrifice made it possible for you to, y’know.” 

"Correct," Jordan said with an unusually somber look. "She was the one who guided my arrow that took down the version of Darkness contained in that world. She was also the one, in a way, to bring me to your world. She was reluctant to let me leave, though. I just don't know why…"

“Ianite,” murmured an unfamiliar voice from the shadows, "always has a reason for her actions." 

Dream whipped around at the sound of the strangers low voice, launching himself off the building ledge with ease, drawing his axe and sliding his mask back on in one smooth movement. Jordan, however, slowly eased himself off the wall, feeling like he’d just been hit by a train.  _ Ianite. That was his lady’s name. _

A dark figure came out of the shadows and Dream stopped in his tracks, his axe lowering in disbelief. The man who stepped into a patch of moonlight was almost  _ identical _ to Jordan, save for the grey streaks in his hair and the green shades perched on his nose.

“Hello, captain. I don’t think we’ve ever been properly introduced,” the man said in the same level voice, extending a hand out to Jordan. Dream’s eyes narrowed and he tensed, shifting into a familiar stance, but Jordan made no indication that he was threatened by the stranger's arrival.

“You’re the...you’re her admiral - she, you-” Jordan felt winded. “You’re her  _ Spark. _ "

The man nodded, dropping his hand when Jordan didn't make any attempt to shake it. "My wife was very hesitant to let me join this world, but we both agreed it was time for you to remember her in her entirety. I don't always agree with her methods, captain, but her actions are never without reason."

"So me being unable to remember her name - that was intentional?" Jordan asked as he drew closer, a twinge of pain heavy in his voice.

Spark winced. "I tried to convince her otherwise, but she thought it would help protect you, buy you some time before Darkness was aware you had joined the realm. Names hold power, captain," he continued, sighing a little. "It really  _ was _ for the best, I'm afraid. If you had been able to tell people that you were the champion of Ianite... let's just say Darkness would have figured out you were a threat much quicker than it already did."

"So is he," Dream broke in, "still her champion and everything?" he asked, sliding his mask to the side of his head, a peculiar look gracing his features.

"He is," Spark confirmed, smiling as Jordan breathed a sigh of relief. "And you've remembered something too, haven't you?" he prompted Dream, pulling his shades down to reveal dark blue eyes that seemed to swim with galaxies and burn with an unnatural light.

"I-" Dream's mouth went dry as he took in the gentle wrinkles that lined Spark's face, etchings of memories that could be millennia old. His cocked eyebrow seemed to be a challenge, forcing Dream's mind back to the earlier days of the smp before everyone had joined, before Phil had decided to move to the ends of the earth. 

They'd been seated around the campfire on a dark summer night not unlike this one, Dream sandwiched between his hunters, all of Phil's adopted sons sprawled over one another. The fire was almost reduced to ash and embers, but Tubbo had pleaded for Phil to tell them one more story. Phil had shook his head and ruffled Tubbo's hair affectionately, but with a crooked grin, he'd launched into the story of a goddess and her admiral. Dream had reclined back with George's head in his lap and Sapnap cuddled into his side, one hand tangled in George's hair, the other rubbing small circles into Sapnap's shoulder as Phil got caught up in the story. 

He told them of the goddess and her admiral who fought alongside each other as kingdoms rose and fell, peace always their end goal. They'd fallen in love along the way of their adventures and she made him immortal, both a protection and a blessing to their marriage. But she still needed a mortal champion, someone who could uphold justice and balance in the realms she couldn't touch. She searched long and hard across worlds and universes for someone who could take up the admiral's mantle, someone who could be blind in their faith and steadfast in their loyalty. She found that person in a captain, well versed in the seas and skies. He swore himself to the goddess as the champion of balance and traveled from realm to realm at her bidding, an executor of justice and bringer of peace.

"Well what happened to him?" Tubbo had asked, eyebrows scrunched above his eyes that reflected the light of the embers of the fire as he stared up at Phil. "The admiral got a happy ending, what about the captain?"

Phil just gave him a knowing smile and pulled him closer. "Legend says he's still serving his goddess, sailing through oceans and galaxies alike, finding the balance between order and chaos wherever he goes."

"That's good," Tubbo said sleepily, wrapping his arms around Phil, cuddling closer. "The captain deserves a happy ending."

"Everyone does, Tubbo," Phil had said fondly, rubbing small circles into the boy's back as he dozed off. They'd all fallen asleep around the fire eventually, the quiet drone of insects gently lulling them to sleep as the warm summer air blanketed them. 

Dream had suspected there was more truth to the story since he first heard it, his own powers a confirmation that tales of gods and magic weren't outside the realm of possibility. But with Jordan's arrival, and now Spark's...

"Both of you," he said slowly, looking between the two, "you're the ones from the legends."

"You knew," Jordan said, eyebrows furrowed. "Or at least you guessed, when I first got here. You knew which questions to ask  _ and _ believed my answers even when George and Sapnap didn't."

Dream shrugged and let out a small chuckle as he sheathed his axe and pushed his hair off his forehead. "I wasn't sure how they'd respond if I told them that the stranger who waltzed into the smp came straight out of a fairytale."

"That's fair," Jordan agreed before turning to face Spark. "Speaking of fairy tales, why are you here? Why now?"

Spark was silent as he took off his green shades and polished them with his shirt, then placed them back atop the bridge of his nose. "It's simple really," he began, his smooth, deep voice echoing slightly across the rooftop.

"Both of you now know about Darkness and balance needs to be restored to this world. I know you want someone with all the answers to your problems, Jordan, but unfortunately I'm not that person. I'm just another ally."

Dream chewed on his lower lip and stared at the admiral, a questioning look in his eyes. "That's not the full truth, is it, sir?"

"You're a sharp one, it's not," Spark admitted with a shrug. "But it's all you need to know for now." He gave the hunter a wry smile and was met with a small frown, before turning to Jordan once more.

"Now, speaking of legends, Ianite agreed with me that you'd benefit from something a little more familiar, captain."

Jordan cocked his head, a quizzical look in his eyes as Spark extended a hand out in front of him. The moonlight seemed to ripple and Jordan blinked hard as a bright purple glow engulfed the admiral's hand. When it faded, Spark's fingers were wrapped around a bow. Not just any bow, Jordan realized immediately.  _ His bow. _

A warm smile broke across Spark's face, eyes crinkling at the corners as Jordan reached out a reverent hand to take the weapon. "The fBow of Balance," the admiral intoned, his voice a low rumble. "Infused with the power of Ianite herself and the last known weapon to rid a world of Darkness. And yes, before you ask, it's more powerful than a crossbow," Spark finished, shooting a look at Dream who gave him a sheepish grin.

"It's so well preserved," Jordan murmured, oblivious to the other two, running his fingers over the familiar polished wood and taught bowstring. "I had it on me when we stepped into the portal - how did you get it?"

"The void pulled it from you and kept it hidden until Ianite was strong enough to retrieve it herself," Spark explained, a frown flitting across his face as he recalled his wife’s sacrifice. "She kept it safe all this time, hoping that it'd never have to be used again, but ready just in case."

Jordan swallowed hard as he finally closed his hand around the grip of his bow, a familiar warmth and surge of power flowing through his fingers. For something so lethal, it was otherworldly in its beauty. Swirled carvings of galactic languages decorated the dark wooden limbs of the bow, gilded in green and gold. The bow almost thrummed with energy in Jordan's hand, enchantments rippling across the weapon's surface in waves of purple so dark they almost looked black. Spark handed him a quiver that he must have produced while Jordan was distracted, and the latter took it gratefully, swinging it onto his back as he'd done thousands of times before.

Selecting one arrow at random, Jordan nocked it, admiring the perfect tension the bow granted him. He drew back the arrow, letting his eyes flutter shut and fingertips graze his jaw as he did so. As he breathed in slowly, he felt a burning sensation in his chest that roared like a forest fire for a moment before dissipating into a pleasant warmth that spread across his body like a second skin. For the first time since he'd left the isles, Jordan didn't feel the aching emptiness that seemed to encompass his entire soul. He felt… _ complete _ . With a growing smile, Jordan released the arrow and opened his eyes, the projectile leaving swaths of green and purple and teal behind it as it disappeared into the night sky.

"The aurora borealis," Dream whispered in awe as he stared up into the illuminated sky, shades of purple and blue dancing across his features. "Does this mean…?"

"Ianite's blessing," Jordan affirmed, his eyes glowing a soft lilac and feeling lighter than he had in weeks. "It's back."

"It never truly left," Spark broke in with a low voice as he too, took in the beauty of the night sky. "It was just dormant for a spell, another small protection Ianite could grant you."

"You had something like Jordan's bow," Dream said suddenly, tearing his eyes away from the aurora. "A rapier, I thought."

Spark's eyebrows raised in surprise but he nodded. "The Pivot of Balance," he confirmed, hand drifting down to the weapon sheathed at his side. "I'm surprised you know of it, the captain's bow generally got more attention in the legends."

"Phil's very thorough in his storytelling," Dream replied, eyes widening as the admiral unsheathed his rapier, his hand gripping the well-worn leather handle. Just like the fBow of Balance, the rapier was stunning, it's decorations paying homage to the Goddess of the End. The double-edged blade glinted silver in the moonlight while delicate swoops of gold made up the hilt, encasing a light green gemstone that looked eerily similar to an eye of ender.

"All of a sudden I'm feeling very inadequate," Dream said with a nervous laugh. "You guys are literal legends and I'm just…" he paused, as the reality of the situation hit him at full force. "I'm just another kid with an axe and a shield and too many people I care about."

"About that," Spark said, creases appearing between his eyebrows as he shot a look at Jordan. "You need to remember one more thing, I think." Before the hunter could even attempt to protest, Spark clapped a hand on Dream's shoulder and the world became a blur of colors.

It felt like his feet had been kicked out from beneath him and his stomach had been yanked to another dimension as he tried desperately to take in the jumble of shapes and sounds that became his reality. Without any warning, Dream’s feet slammed back into the ground and he stumbled, barely managing to catch himself before he face planted in the grass. Very familiar grass.

Dream shot Spark a grateful look as he placed a warm hand on the hunter’s shoulder, helping to right him. Dream’s chest heaved as he gulped in air, his head finally beginning to stop spinning so he could properly take in surroundings. Jordan was stood next to Spark looking slightly pale, but no worse for the wear. They were still in the smp, but it looked different, like it was from a different time.

“It is,” Spark said quietly, as if reading Dream’s thoughts, “from another time.”

_ Of course,  _ Dream thought as he recognized the walls that stood proudly in the distance - blackstone walls that hadn’t yet been reduced to ruins by a ruthless dictator.  _ But why here? Why this moment? _

“Just watch,” Spark murmured as three figures made their way to the crest of the hill they stood on. “They can’t see us, don’t worry.”

Dream nodded and turned his attention to the figures, flinching when he realized they were none other than past-versions of Dream, George, and Sapnap.

“You said you weren’t a good leader,” Jordan said in a low voice. “We need you to see the truth.”

“Look, George. Everything the light touches is our kingdom.” Dream heard his past-self say, extending a hand out in front of him.  _ This is weird. _ “A king’s time as a ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, George, the sun will set and rise with you as the new king.”

Dream thought he had remembered the day well. Reliving it made him realize he hadn’t. He hadn’t remembered the look of wonder and awe on George’s face as Dream explained what his future held. He hadn’t remembered the way Sapnap had clenched his jaw and listened to every word Dream uttered with rapt attention, features bound in resolution. He’d forgotten how willing his hunter’s had been to follow him into war with L’Manburg. He’d forgotten that from the very beginning, he was their leader.

“I-” Dream began, voice faltering as he failed to find the right words to describe what he was thinking.

Spark only gave him a gentle smile before giving his shoulder another squeeze, sending them flying into another moment in the smp’s history. The nauseating cycle continued - the earth being ripped out from under Dream’s feet, landing him somewhere back in time in the smp, reliving some moment that Spark deemed important. Negotiating L’Manburg’s independence with Tommy and Wilbur, fighting alongside Techno and Tommy, leading George and Sapnap into battle - each and every memory made the same point. Dream had authority. Dream had respect. And most of all, each and every person on the smp, regardless of their alliance, saw him as a leader. 

“Are we done yet?” the hunter eventually complained as they landed heavily for what felt like the billionth time, head spinning and stomach threatening to empty itself. 

“Last one,” Spark promised with a small smile. “This one’s important.”

Dream nodded and rubbed at his face, stomach sinking when he recognized their surroundings. The trio was standing next to what appeared to be the remains of a small house. All that was left was some smoldering blackstone, burnt crafting benches, and a few chests.  _ Tubbo’s house _ he realized, a bitter taste in his throat. Which meant...

“No no no,” Dream started, shaking his head vehemently. “I don’t need to see this one again, I’m not this person anymore.”

“Watch,” Spark insisted, placing his hand on the small of the hunter’s back, pushing him forward slightly.

Dream sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, but didn’t look away as two figures decked out in full netherite came into view. Sapnap looked about the same, maybe a little younger, maybe a little happier but his companion...The past-version of Dream was almost unrecognizable. He walked with an almost alien level of confidence, chin held high and lips curled into a playful smirk. Everything about him screamed power - his weapons, his posture, and the way he spoke. Dream blinked rapidly as he refocused on the scene, finally tuning into the threats that poured from his younger self.

“- we are at war. There is  _ no mercy _ . We have  _ burnt  _ down Tubbo’s house, we have planted tnt cannons around your land, we have cobblestone walled the outside-” Dream zoned out slightly as his past self listed all of the things he and his hunters had done. He chewed on his lip pensively, wondering for a brief moment if people still saw him like this - confident and self-assured.

''-and we have  _ no mercy _ !  _ No mercy for you! _ Do you understand?” The hunter cracked a smile, the passion in the voice of his younger self escalating into a shout. “If you do not surrender, I want to see  _ white flags. White flags outside your base by tomorrow, at dawn, or you are dead! _ ”

Jordan turned to Dream and raised an eyebrow, a bemused smile spreading across his face. “You’ve got a lot of spirit, kid.”

The hunter gave him a rueful grin and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, his cheeks dusted a light shade of pink. “I cared a lot back then. I had a feeling the creation of countries within the smp would only cause more conflict.”

“You were right,” Spark commented, placing a hand on Dream’s shoulder for the last time. “But I’d dare to say you care even more  _ now _ then you did back then,” he finished when they’d finally made it back to the rooftop.

“You have more support this time, too,” Jordan added, stretching and yawning.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to be that person again,” Dream admitted, making his way back to the edge of the building and looking out across the treetops. “Things are different now.”

“Do you have something to fight for?” Spark prompted, his expression knowing.

Dream thought back to the early days of the smp, back to campfires and pranks, building and exploring. He thought about Tommy and Tubbo going back to Phil’s place, Drista continuing to train with Techno, being able to  _ relax  _ with George and Sapnap without worrying about someone taking them away from him. He thought about peace and a united smp, no countries, no conflict. A family.  _ The one thing he’d wanted from the beginning. _

“Yeah,” he answered truthfully, something warm beginning to blossom in his chest. “Yeah, I do.”

“Then you’ll succeed,” said Jordan simply, the purple ring in his eyes glowing softly.

Dream bit his lip as the corner of his mouth twitched upward into a smile, his green eyes glinting with a new found spark.

“Thanks,” he said quietly, the smile not leaving his face. “Meeting with everyone tomorrow?”

“Sounds good to me,” Jordan replied, glancing at Spark who nodded in agreement. “C’mon old man, let’s find you a place to sleep,” he teased, leading the admiral into the safehouse. “And Dream? Make sure you get some rest,” Jordan called over his shoulder by way of goodnight.

“No promises, cap,” Dream answered easily, rubbing a tired hand over his face. “I’ve got too much to think about.”

The hunter laid down on the low wall as soon as Jordan and Spark had left, slipping his mask back over his face and crossing his arms behind his head as he gazed up into the night sky. He could catch up on sleep once this was all over, but for now, he’d stay awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone, long time no update huh? real talk, i'm sorry for taking so long with this chapter but i hope the fact that it's some 7500 odd words helps make it up. here they are! here are my faves! and yes! i'm a huge simp and it's really obvious in this chapter! but that's fine! on a more serious note, thank you so so much for all of the kind, supportive comments and messages. they brighten my day so much and i hope i can brighten yours too a little bit by slapping some words together into what i hop is a coherent story. (also this is canon divergent. like a lot. lmao.) huge shout out to maddie for beta reading, ely and and topaz for putting up with my stupid amount of simping, and literally anyone who's ever said anything nice to me about my writing. i love all of you a lot and i promise - the next update will not take 3 or 4 weeks to get out ahahah. anywho, hope you enjoyed guys <3


	12. Chapter 12

Dream was tired. It was a feeling he knew intimately, reluctant to leave like an old friend lingering at the front door, not quite ready to say goodbye after an evening of reminiscing over better times. He’d learned to ignore it, simply pushing it out of the way and directing his attention to more pressing issues, but his fatigue refused to be forgotten. Neglected exhaustion made its home in rings of dark purple beneath his eyes, too tight muscles, and slumped shoulders. But it didn’t bother him, not in this moment. He appreciated the sensation, almost grounding in its familiarity after the bizarre events of the night. Dream need time to think without interruption. Alone.

With a sigh, he pulled himself into a sitting position and winced as something in his back crackled, the unfortunate byproduct of laying on stone brick for hours. Another sluggish movement brought him to his feet, swaying slightly as he got reaccustomed to being vertical, eyes raking over the shadowy treetops out of habit. Dream yawned and stretched his arms behind his head, relishing in the slight burn as he extended his taught muscles. He held the position for a moment before exhaling and letting his hands fall to his sides, allowing the built up tension in his limbs to dissipate.

Another harsh exhale paired with a quick shake of his hands to get rid of the pins and needles cleared the haze from his mind and had him alert, exhaustion banished to the corner of his mind. Dream was suddenly attuned to every sound the forest whispered to him, something under his skin itching for him to leave, to run, to _go._ His veins were a trail of gasoline suddenly set ablaze, a burning sensation spreading from his fingertips through his limbs, bouncing on the balls of his feet as his heart leapt at the prospect of being _free_ . Free from stress, free from everyone else’s problems, free from the messy obligation of _life._

The night called to him like a siren, a quiet sort of song that swelled with the beating of his heart and fueled the fire under his skin. It promised freedom and solitude and sanctuary, luxuries he’d forgone for the sake of others for too long. Luxuries, none of which he could resist. Dream splayed his right hand across the low wall that lined the rooftop, his rings scraping slightly as the cool stone satiated the heat that radiated from his hands. His mind was made up in an instant.

Dream descended the side of the safe house, hands and feet flying across crumbling stone, finding purchase in invisible hand and footholds. He dismounted from the wall just as quickly as he’d vaulted over the edge of the roof, landing lightly on his feet. The hunter spared a quick glance around the area to make sure no one was aware of his departure before pulling his hood up over his head and heading west, his blonde hair peeking out over the top of his mask.

As his feet sank into the soft forest floor, Dream hummed in discontent, a very obvious trail of footsteps in his wake. He pressed the front of his feet harder into the ground, focusing on the small thrum of energy that connected him to the world. _I don’t want to be followed_ he thought, smiling softly as the realm seemed to murmur its agreement, sending a soft breeze rippling through the branches above his head. His feet lifted a few millimeters off the ground, an imperceptible difference to any unknowing passerby. Biting his lip in concentration, Dream placed one hesitant foot down in front of him and beamed as the air under it seemed to solidify, preventing his foot from leaving a faint impression in the ground. Another gentle breeze rippled through the soft grass of the forest floor and the hunter glanced behind him, nodding in satisfaction as the earth shifted seemingly of its own accord to cover his footprints.

 _Thank you_ he thought, briefly closing his eyes and smiling as the world wrapped him in one final swath of warm air, the throb of energy connecting him to the realm dying down to a pleasant buzz as the cool night air graced his cheeks again. Confirmation that the realm would conceal Dream’s movements from prying eyes was all the hunter needed and he was off, his lengthy strides silenced by the very world that surrounded him. As soon as he deemed himself far away enough from the safehouse, he broke into an all-out sprint, feet as light as feathers as they bounced off the unnatural surface of magic just above the forest floor. 

_More more more_ the world seemed to urge Dream as he picked up his pace, lungs burning with exhilaration. A laugh tore its way from his mouth and the hunter grinned, immediately making his way to the closest tree. In a matter of seconds he had ascended the tree, barely noticing the scratch of the bark and the branches against his skin, the realm’s magic serving to boost his every move.

 _Faster faster faster_ it urged him as he practically _flew_ across the forest canopy, feet finding purchase in impossible places, whooping and hollering in sheer and childlike delight. He leapt through the trees feeling lighter than air, feet slamming down and launching him off nothingness to soar and fly with such grace to make even the most elegant of birds envious. His world was freedom and joy and pure adrenaline, everything passing by in a colorful blur as he moved with inhuman speed. His natural skills were only enhanced by the magic running through his veins, the very essence of the world surrounding him and encouraging him to take advantage of the power it could offer. 

Dream took his hood down and pushed his mask to the side of his face, exposing his face to the cool night air. The wind stung his cheeks and ruffled his hair and he continued to bound through the treetops, painting the skin between his freckles a light red. His eyes glinted in the moonlight, taking on the precise shade of the foliage he sailed through with hardly a second thought. His rapid heartbeat kept him centered, kept him human. But the stars were his blood and his limbs mere extensions of the universe, the magic in every quiet moment of awe and every cacophonous celebration of life thrumming through his entire being. He was human. He was god. He was Dream. But most of all, he was _free_.

He rode the high as long as he could, only slowing when trees grew taller and denser, a silvery mist winding its way around wide tree trunks then up and through leaves and branches. The forest had changed during his travel, from a young, lush forest with vibrant hues to something darker and more muted, an almost ancient aura enveloping the evergreens that towered into the night sky. The magic felt different to Dream too, less unpredictable than the younger parts of the smp, but somehow more intense, almost _raw_ in its power. He’d arrived at his destination, which reminded him…

 _Thank you for the help, but I need to be me_ he whispered to the realm. _Just me. Only for a moment._ The world seemed to sigh and Dream felt the sparks lingering under his skin fizzle out, the quiet haze of fatigue replacing it like a second skin, slow and sweet like raw honey. He descended from the treetops, movements much slower and more deliberate than before, feet slipping slightly on the soft pine needles that coated the forest floor. The hunter walked in silence through the towering evergreens, savoring the quiet nostalgia until he came to a small clearing that was home to a small, inconspicuous lake swathed in a misty blue fog. 

The closest part of the shoreline was made up of fine sand that glowed a brilliant white in the light of the moon. Jagged rocky outcroppings made up the rest of the shoreline that blended seamlessly into the edge of the clearing, the line between tree and stone blurred by the dark shadows of the night. The lake itself looked like rippling, molten silver, otherworldly in its beauty as gentle waves lapped at the small beach, the tides an ode to the moon’s love for an earth it could never physically touch.

Dream’s adrenaline rush had all but vanished at the sight of the water, the only reminders of his exhilaration his pounding heart and flushed cheeks. Every shuddering breath he took felt like a violation to the quiet sanctity of the place, a loud and intrusive reminder of his mortality. He hadn’t been to the lake for what felt like eons, he hadn’t _needed_ to until now. The world had been peaceful enough that he could find comfort in warm hugs and whispered reassurances from his friends. With no threat of imminent war on the horizon, Dream hadn’t needed time to simply think and be alone, accompanied only by the world that protected him and he sought to protect in return. But now that threat was real and the hunter needed a hard reset, a way to clear his head so he could lead the ones he loved into battle and ensure their safety. 

The scene had the quality of a strange dream, hazy and unfamiliar, unreal but oddly comfortable. From what Dream had gathered, this clearing was the oldest part of the realm, most likely the first place to be created when the world had sprung into existence. It was where the hunter felt most connected to the world, and while it made him acutely aware of the power lingering just beneath his fingertips, Dream had never been more aware of his own transience. He was at his strongest here, yet simultaneously his most vulnerable. It was terrifying but intoxicating, this strange juxtaposition of a place.

As he made his way forward, feet leaving slight imprints in the soft white sand, the water seemed to _pull_ him to its edge, calling to him like the moon’s magnetic song to the tides. Dream didn’t resist it. There was no reason to. Just before the water’s edge, he began to shed his netherite, deft fingers making quick work of the straps that secured the armor to his body, letting each piece fall to the ground with a soft thump. Dream slid one gloved hand up the side of his face, hesitating for a moment before sliding his mask off completely. 

It still felt strange to shed the familiar weight of the mask but there was no point in keeping it on. No one knew of the lake except for the hunters and his sister, none of which had been to it in recent memory. Besides, Dream had eventually learned that the realm preferred honesty and transparency above all else, so there was no point in trying to hide his face and keep secrets here, _especially_ given the request he was about to make.

He placed the mask next to his armor, gloves and rings joining it soon thereafter. In one smooth motion, he pulled his t-shirt and hoodie over his head with one hand, shivering slightly as the cool night air made contact with his bare torso. His other hand came up to his collarbone, absentmindedly fiddling with the delicate gold chain that hung there as he tried to decide whether or not to take it off. From what Dream had gathered, the fine chain was unbreakable, protected by the world’s magic, but still removable. 

A small eye of ender hung from the chain, glistening like a finely cut gem. It wasn’t just any ender eye, it was the twelfth and final eye that the portal required to be activated, given specifically to Dream upon his arrival to the world. No other eye would activate the portal, so as long as Dream had it on him, the End was safe. He usually kept the necklace tucked beneath his hoodie, its weight so familiar he generally forgot it was even there, but the cool night air against his chest made him acutely aware of its presence. He decided against taking it off. It wasn’t worth the risk.

When he’d finished removing his excess garments, Dream made his way to where the waves ebbed and flowed into the white sand, relishing in the cold rushes of water that repeatedly swirled around his ankles and receded just as quickly as they had come. His very bones seemed to ache as he slowly waded into the lake, the surprisingly frigid water drawing a gasp from his lungs. The hunter decided to focus on the pleasant sleepy haze that enveloped his thoughts instead, almost immediately finding it easier to breathe. He could ask the realm to warm him up, to keep him from getting wet, but for now he wanted to experience every heightened sensation by himself. Tapping into the world’s power was a blessing but sometimes Dream just wanted to _feel_ with no inhibitions.

The water was up to his waist now, his fingers gliding over the surface of the lake as he waded in deeper, leaving a trail of ripples behind him. Dream dipped one of his hands below the surface, letting the water pool in the palm of his hand before bringing his hand up to inspect it. The water droplets felt smoother than silk as they danced across his knuckles, leaving behind a pearly sheen on his calloused skin as they dripped through his fingers.

When his feet could barely touch the bottom of the lake, the hunter drew in a large breath and submerged himself, letting cold enveloped every one of his senses. He opened his eyes for a moment, the fine details of plants and shells at the bottom of the lake lost to a murky darkness. The moonlight cast strange rippling patterns across his skin and Dream found himself momentarily entranced by them for so long that his chest began to ache from the lack of oxygen.

In one powerful movement he broke through the surface of the lake with a gasp, a wide grin breaking across his face as he relished in the sharp contrast between his burning lungs and the cold water that hugged his body. Every gulp of fresh air felt like an act of defiance, every tread of water keeping him afloat a casual _fuck you_ to the forces that wanted him dead. The feeling was addicting and Dream wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the night swimming, mind focused solely on his surroundings.

 _It’s ok_ the world whispered to him. _It can wait, it can always wait._ _Just a few laps_ he promised with a grateful sigh, _and then we can talk._

Dream plunged back into the water and swam until his mind went blank, quickly falling into a familiar rhythm and allowing the repetitive motions to quiet even his loudest thoughts. He swam until all he knew was the beat of his heart and the extension of his muscles as he cut through the water, until all he could feel was each ragged breath torn from his chest when he resurfaced for air. This was where Dream’s mortality and magic engaged in a harmonious dance, a delicate yet balanced game of give and take as he pushed himself to his limits. There was no one around to witness the slow kick of his legs or gentle roll of his back muscles that allowed him to glide through the water with ease. No one could see the way his tanned skin stretched over toned muscles that gleamed in the dappled moonlight like some earthbound Greek deity, no one could hear his quiet splashes and sharp intakes of air. Dream was in his element with nary a soul to witness his truths. He was free.

When his fingers began to prune and the ache in his shoulders became too prevalent to ignore, the hunter kicked his feet up and floated on his back, taking in fragments of constellations that lent their light to the earth through breaks in the forest canopy. Dream let out a contented sigh as he finally caught his breath, the sound muffled by the water lapping at his ears. Another beat passed and he let himself slip under the lake’s surface, everything going eerily silent as he sank to the sandy lakebed. The world gently nudged at the surface of his thoughts and Dream nodded imperceptibly with a small smile, the pressure on his lungs vanishing and allowing him to breathe with no issue despite his aquatic surroundings. 

He closed his eyes and let the world wash over him, finally, _finally_ letting himself think about everything he’d purposely been ignoring. Time seemed to pass slower underwater, but maybe that was just his mind moving faster than usual. The tranquility of the lake helped him focus and reorganize his thoughts, but it wasn’t quite enough. He needed to know more. The realm answered his silent plea and suddenly Dream could _see._ It was less sight than it was an understanding of how the realm understood life, the connections tying each lifeforce to the realm. 

Everything was a blur of color and sound and shapes, strings connecting everyone to each other, life force to life source. He saw his friends and land the way the world did, a replica of nature in small green sprouts of hesitant new friendships, sturdy oak trees of long friendships and love, withered, rotting decay of betrayals and broken hearts. The human experience was more universal than he thought, love and hurt and joy and pain not confined to one species. 

Through all the connections he could see a pattern. Multiple actually, various scenarios raveling and unraveling, piecing together possible futures and abandoned pasts. It was overwhelming and messy. Dream had the uncomfortable realization of just how small he and his world were in relation to the rest of the universe, two miniscule pinpricks of light and life in an endless expanse of fine black satin glistening with stars and galaxies. The enormity of it almost physically pained him. But it was exactly what he needed. He finally understood.

 _I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do,_ he eventually whispered to the world when his thoughts stopped spinning. _How to deal with Schlatt, what this war is going to look like...but Jordan and Spark...they’re wildcards_. 

_So are you,_ the world answered simply.

 _I’m going to ask more of you than I’ve ever asked before in the next few days_ , Dream continued, hoping with all his heart that the world understood what he needed without him saying it, praying for his friends' sake that he wasn't being too bold in his assumptions. _Will you be able to help me when I call on you?_

_All you ever need to do is ask._

-

The world was still swathed in darkness as Dream made his way back to the safehouse. He'd opted to let the night air dry him off when he'd finally gotten out of the water, but his hair was still damp against his forehead, curling slightly at the tips. It was slightly disconcerting being back in his own land after spending several hours in the private setting of the lake. His connection to the world was still present of course, lingering just under his skin, but it didn’t wrap around him as tightly as it did when he was at the lake. Dream nervously adjusted his mask as he continued his journey back to the safehouse, feeling oddly _exposed_ , even in the dark hours of the early morning. 

It turned out he had nothing to worry about as he made it back to the stronghold without any incidents, clamoring back up the same stone wall he’d descended only hours earlier. His movements were less frantic this time, his time at the lake serving to reduce the fire under his skin and make the world just a bit clearer. So clear, in fact, that he saw the dark figure sitting on the far edge of the roof as if it was the middle of the day. It was Drista. She was in her sleep attire - just an oversized turquoise hoodie and black leggings, not much different from her usual outfit - but this time her dirty blonde hair was down, cascading in messy waves over her shoulders. 

Dream swung himself over the low wall and silently made his way over to his sister’s side, smirking when she flinched at his sudden appearance. They each took their masks off and she gave him a quick once over, gaze lingering on his still damp hair. “You went back to the lake,” she said, voice carefully neutral.

“Yeah,” Dream shrugged, having no reason to lie.

“You haven't been there for ages,” Drista continued, her tone leaning towards something slightly more accusatory.

“Yeah,” her brother said again.

“You said you'd only go there if things got really bad,” she frowned, turning to face him more head on, green eyes glittering in what was left of the moonlight.

“Yeah.”

“Is that the only word you know how to say?”

Dream shot her a crooked grin. “Yeah.”

“Asshole.”

“Dickhead.”

“I know you are but what am I?”

“Oh _c’mon_ now _\- I know you are but what am I_? Are you fucking five?” Dream sputtered, brows shooting up in incredulity.

“It’s a good comeback,” Drista shrugged, eyes twinkling, daring him to argue with her.

“It’s really not,” Dream sighed, rubbing his face tiredly with one hand, the corner of his mouth twitching upward despite his best efforts. They went silent, neither sure where they wanted to take the conversation. Dream hadn’t been to the lake since L’Manburg had first tried to proclaim independence, so it wasn’t a good sign that he’d felt it was necessary to go now. Both of them knew it. Neither wanted to address it, not when the sun was beginning to make its presence known and the world felt so calm.

Drista worried at one of her rings, twisting it back and forth, and Dream smiled a bit when he realized which one it was. With a passing glance it didn’t seem like anything special, just a simple silver band graced by two stones. The one on the left was cut much sharper than its counterpart, jagged edges glittering a bold, verdant green as they caught the moonlight. The second stone was a delicate aquamarine color, its edges smooth and rounded by the tides of the lake it had been taken from. Upon closer inspection, however, he could make out dozens of tiny turquoise pebbles gracing the band in an intricate double helix pattern. All of the stones were from _the lake_.

Once, each of their rings had matched, as nondescript silver bands that Dream had found in his pocket when he had first joined their world. He’d known immediately that they were for him and his sister, just as he knew that the sky was blue and water was wet. The only decorations the rings had were wrapped around the inside of the bands as matching engravings, galactic language etched in the same brilliant blue lapis color as enchantments on weapons.

ᔑリ↸ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ⚍リ╎⍊ᒷ∷ᓭᒷ ᓭᔑ╎↸ ╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ʖᒷᓵᔑ⚍ᓭᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ᔑ∷ᒷ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ

_And the universe said I love you because you are love._

At first it had been enough, the engraved messages a promise from the world that it would always protect the two of them. Dream and Drista could feel it through the rings too, whenever the other was tapping into the world’s magic a little more than usual. Rarely, but always without fail, the rings would convey the other siblings' intense feelings too, an incredibly useful tool not only in their sibling bond, but in their survival too. The rings were a promise that they were bound together not just by blood, but by the very matter that made up the world they watched over. A reminder and a reason for their powers, the second part of the phrase kept them grounded and centered and _human._ The rings could never be lost, not for long at least. If one of the siblings somehow managed to misplace it, they’d find it the instant they went to look for it. A small gesture, yet one that spoke volumes about their connection to the world - the realm was always looking out for them, even with the seemingly most insignificant of things. 

But the day Drista had finally entered the realm had been a memorable one, filled with hours of swimming and laughter as they celebrated their new world. Dream had found the two stones at the bottom of the lake towards the end of the day, the turquoise and green too fitting for the two siblings for it to be pure luck that Dream had spotted them. Drista added them to the ring, just another gentle reminder of family and love. Since that day, every time they’d gone to the lake together, Dream made sure his sister always had a new stone to add to her ring. The world happily supplied them - miniature turquoise pebbles hardly bigger than seeds that sometimes took Dream _hours_ to find - but they never left the lake without finding one. 

Each pebble that twisted around the silver band was a memory, one that Drista could always hold close to her. _This one_ she’d recall, thumbing the one that had a crack in the shape of a spiral, _was from the first day Dream brought his hunters to the lake. Bad was scared that George was going to drown because Sapnap kept jumping on him. And this one,_ she’d remember a little sadly, moving her thumb to one with a small chip in its center, _is from when we lost Spirit. It was one of the first times that Dream couldn’t hide how sad he was. That day, the world grieved with him._ With her ring, Drista donned physical memories alongside her connection to her brother and the world.

Dream’s ring held just as much value but it looked especially bare alongside his sister’s. He didn’t mind it, the familiar galactic engraving carrying more than enough meaning for him. Drista thought it could use some “sprucing up’’. They’d argued over it for weeks, Dream stubbornly refusing to add anything to it, perfectly satisfied with the minimalist aesthetic of the silver band. In a fit of what Dream deemed “teenage rebellion”, his sister had managed to steal it right off his finger while he slept, and with the sharpest diamond she could find, had etched a crude smiley face into its surface. He’d pretended to make a big deal about it but Drista didn’t regret it, not for a moment. He secretly loved it, and both of them knew it.

His sister’s questionably persuasive tactics hadn’t stopped there. When she realized that he’d willingly wear _one_ ring, she made it her life’s mission to convince him to wear more, for the _aesthetic_. And because he was simply being a good brother - and definitely not just a pushover - Dream had agreed, on the condition that each band have some kind of significance. Drista had jumped on it immediately and now Dream just considered the accessories to be mandatory - he’d never admit it out loud but he did like the way they looked. One of his favorites was a thin silver band, a sharp chip of diamond inlaid in its center - from the time he and George had found the first diamonds on the server. He was also particularly fond of the one that had a thicker silver band with black markings. Sapnap and Drista had made it together at a blacksmith’s forge, somehow almost burning down an entire village in the process. Sapnap argued that it was a sick flame pattern but Dream personally thought it looked like a demented panda. He still loved it.

Drista quietly cleared her throat which yanked Dream out of his thoughts and back into the present. “Clay?” she asked quietly, expression uncharacteristically somber.

“Yeah?” he asked, chuckling a little as he unintentionally gave Drista the same response as before.

Drista cracked a smile of her own before continuing in the same quiet voice. “Is it...are you ok? Is everything gonna be ok? Something in the realm _shifted_ tonight and you felt so - god what’s the word, not confused per se, but... _overwhelmed_ earlier.”

Dream was silent.

 _"Clay,”_ she said with more force, pushing for an answer.

Dream let out a sigh and raked his hand through his hair before meeting his sister’s green eyes with a steady gaze of his own. “I - yeah, yeah I was overwhelmed for a while there. We have another visitor - I’ll introduce him to everybody today don’t worry,” he assured her as she made to break in.

“Jordan and I met to talk over some things and it was just...a lot to process. That’s why I went to the lake tonight. I just needed some time away to breathe and figure some things out, that’s all. I swear, it’s nothing too serious.”

“And did you _figure things out?"_ Drista asked, her voice cutting into him like a dagger. “Specifically which side you’re going to be on?”

“Yep,” he said, popping the ‘p’.

“And which side is that, moron?”

“Whichever side will keep the realm balanced,” Dream answered after a pause.

“And that side is…?” his sister pushed, a tinge of exasperation making its way into her voice.

“Yours of course, kid,” he said with an easy grin, jostling her shoulder with his own.

“Not Wilbur’s?”

“He’ll be on our side,” Dream said confidently, not shrinking away from Drista’s piercing gaze. “I have a whole plan and everything, we’ll go over it with everyone later today. Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s part of my job to worry about it,” Drista responded evenly. “And you’re welcome, by the way. For being right.”

“For being right,” Dream echoed dryly, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re literally telling me to thank you for being right. You’ve been spending too much time with Tommy.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I’m still right, as per usual, I might add” his sister shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“ _Well_ ,” Dream scoffed, trying desperately to keep a smile of his own from spreading across his face. “I wouldn’t go _that_ far.” 

“I would.”

“I know.”

They delved into silence after that, and even though no words were exchanged, both siblings could feel the unspoken apology and acceptance. They’d fight this war the way they usually fought. Side by side. 

As the sun finally began to rise, not yet burning away the early morning mist that coated the world, Drista stretched and mumbled something about getting changed. Dream didn’t bother dodging the gentle punch she landed on his shoulder before heading inside and leaving him alone on the rooftop. It was almost poetic, Dream noted with a dry smile as his surroundings were slowly bathed in soft morning light, that their argument all those nights ago was resolved just in time for a beautiful sunrise. It seemed like a good way to start the day, a day Dream wasn’t particularly looking forward to.

But the day had already begun, if the two low voices that were growing louder as their owners approached the safehouse were any indication. Dream slid his mask back over face in one fluid motion and took a deep breath. In. Out. Steeling himself. He glanced at his right hand and gently swiped his left thumb over the _:)_ etched into the silver band that graced his pointer finger. _No use in making them wait._

For what felt like the millionth time, Dream swung himself over the wall and nimbly descended the side of the stronghold. As he made his way over to greet Phil and Techno with measured paces and an easy smile, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this day marked the beginning of the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok listen. listen. this fic started as self indulgent and it’s gonna stay this way. yes this was supposed to be more of a plot chapter, yes it was supposed to come out much sooner, yes its simping bs to help me cope with current dsmp canon, and yes i got very distracted. but it's fine. classes start next week and i have a feeling that working on bofb is gonna be more interesting than hw so. hopefully quicker updates? im so sorry but thank u for putting up with me if ur still here! 
> 
> anywho thank you thank you thank you topaz for being the mvp of this chapter, the swimming and the rings happned bc of ur insights and ily v much for that. thank u maddie for beta reading and ely for simping with me and thank u everyone for sticking around and reading this. i rly love this story and love sharing it with all of you, the kudos and comments make my day <3 love yall!


	13. Chapter 13

Philza and Technoblade cut imposing figures in the soft morning light, all bright colors and sharp edges that broke through the mist that still enveloped the world. Phil’s stance was considerably more relaxed as Dream approached the duo, the netherite sword sheathed at his side barely visible under his dark green traveling cloak. Techno, on the other hand, remained on edge as the hunter came closer, hand tightening imperceptibly around the handle of his netherite axe that his bright red cloak didn’t quite conceal. The morning sun caught the circlet that wrapped around his head, the plain band glinting gold in an uncanny imitation of the ever present gleam in Techno’s wary gaze.

“I didn’t realize you’d be here so early,” Dream said warmly, extending a hand. “I hope the journey wasn’t too bad?”

“Nah, Techno here was very protective,” Phil assured him, shaking the hunter’s hand with a wide grin, eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Listen Phil, those baby zombies are a big threat to a thirty year old man decked out in full netherite armor.” Phil let out a loud, raucous laugh but Techno wasn’t done. “The authoritarian dictatorship that’s threatenin’ the livelihood of the entire smp? Now that’s definitely nothin’ to worry about, but those baby zombies? Murderers,” he finished with a serious face that didn’t quite match the twinkle in his eye.

Dream shook his head with a crooked grin at Techno’s typical deadpan. “Well, I’m glad you’re here all the same. We have several, uh, _developments -_ for lack of a better word - to discuss with everyone in a meeting later today. I dunno know if anyone else is up yet…” he trailed off sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand.

Phil raised an eyebrow expectantly, his question resonating loudly in the air despite going unsaid.

“I’ll sleep eventually, Phil,” Dream sighed, shifting his weight to his other foot. “I’ve been busy, you know this.”

“Yeah, cut him some slack, Phil - this man doesn’t even have his own house, you can’t just _assume_ he’s gotta bed to sleep in. Plus, the whole sleep deprivation thing complements his tragic hero angle pretty nicely.”

“What the _hell_ Techno? You’ve-you’ve literally _been in my house-”_ Dream sputtered, starting to laugh in disbelief. “Phil back me up here _, please.”_

Phil only laughed even harder and Dream’s protests eventually faded into easy banter as he led the duo into the safehouse. Even in daylight, the building wasn’t particularly welcoming - all stone brick walls and dimly glowing lanterns. The trio didn’t go any further than the foyer, which featured an abundance of ender chests, armor stands, and anything else useful that could be grabbed quickly in the event of a fight. Their conversation echoed down the long hallway from them, punctuated by Dream’s wheezes, Phil’s outbursts of laughter, and Techno’s low chuckles.

“Jesus _christ_ , at this rate you guys are going to wake up the entire smp,” a female voice complained, its owner descending the staircase nearest to them.

“Wow, good morning to you too,” Dream said sarcastically, a smile spreading across his face as Drista ignored him in favor of yelling _PHIL_ and tackling the man in question with a hug.

Phil let out a loud laugh as he was almost knocked over, using the momentum from the ferocity of her attack to swing her through the air. “Hi Drista, been keeping your brother in line for me?”

“Oh, one hundred percent. I’m the only one he ever listens to,” his sister chirped, shooting her brother a mischievous look. Dream rolled his eyes and smiled but said nothing, knowing that arguing the point would be futile. He let himself zone out a little as the two caught up, sinking back into the comforting fog of tiredness that was trying desperately to encompass his body.

His sister had changed out of her sleepwear into her usual attire minus her typical teal hoodie, hair pulled into a high ponytail. As if to compensate for the lack of color in her outfit, she wore a long, dangling pair of earrings - large pieces of turquoise sea glass wrapped in some kind of silver wire. Dream raised one eyebrow at the accessories, absentmindedly noting how impractical they would be in a fight and was met with a glare from Drista as if she could read his thoughts. Once again, he decided not to argue.

“Kid - you have somethin’ of mine and I kinda want it back,” Techno said suddenly, turning away from Phil to face Drista, breaking Dream out of his thoughts. “Y’know... explosive crossbow...you’re kinda still a child...there’s probably some questions of ethics - not to mention _legality_ there...” he finished, dragging out the vowels of his words.

Phil snorted. “Yeah, you’re one to talk about the ethics of fucking militarizing the youth, Techno, jesus christ.”

“Trade for it.” Drista said simply, meeting Techno’s eyes with a steely gaze.

Techno narrowed his eyes at her. “Whaddya mean? That’s-that’s not how this works.”

“I’ll give it back in exchange for something else,” Drista said slowly, as if explaining a difficult concept to a petulant child, absentmindedly twisting a loose strand of hair around her pointer finger. “That’s how trades work.”

“Wow, I had no prior understanding of the ancient system of bartering, thank you for enlightening me,” Techno deadpanned, face void of any discernible emotion.

“Do you have a trident?”

“ _Nonononono_ ,” Dream broke in, eyes flashing in warning. “You don’t get trident rights, Drista.”

“I have multiple actually,” stated Techno rather matter-of-factly, a devious glint in his eye as he purposely ignored Dream.

“Perfect!” Drista beamed, practically bouncing with excitement. “The crossbow for a trident.”

“You guys - stop. No. Like _stop_. You can’t -”

Dream’s protests fell on deaf ears as Drista was already swinging the crossbow off her back and looking expectantly at Techno. He was still for a moment as he analyzed the situation, but eventually produced a trident from one of the nearby ender chests and silently swapped it with the crossbow in Drista’s outstretched hand.

Dream exhaled and rubbed a tired hand over his mask as his sister beamed, running a gloved hand across her newfound weapon. Apparently, his light-hearted rivalry with Techno overwhelmed any qualms the latter had about giving a minor one of the strongest weapons in their world. 

“Try not to poke anyone’s eyes out, moron,” Dream sighed, rubbing at his left temple, the telltale throb of a migraine beginning to make itself known to him.

“Am I interrupting something here?”

Dream whipped around to see Jordan descending the stairs, brown eyes twinkling from behind his usual red shades.

“By all means, don’t stop on my account,” he added warmly when the conversation lapsed into silence. “I’m sure all of you-” Jordan’s voice faltered and eyebrows shot up when his gaze finally made its way to Phil. Phil looked just as stunned at the captain’s appearance, jaw dropping slightly.

 _Ah. Right. Of course. Of course Jordan could see them. Of course. God fuck. Of course we’re doing this today._ Dream was really beginning to doubt his decisions to forgo sleep for so long.

“Uh yeah,” the hunter started hesitantly, looking between the two. “Jordan, this is Phil. Phil, Jordan,” he said a little weakly. Both were silent.

“Y’know what,” Dream tried again, his migraine really starting to set in. “Drista, Techno, let’s go see if anyone else is awake and let these two...chat.”

Techno looked to Phil expectantly but the older man waved him off. “I’ll be fine Techno, stop worrying so much.”

Placated, Techno shrugged and Dream breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ll be in the infirmary, Jordan. See you later.” 

Jordan nodded but was silent until the trio had disappeared from sight.

“Hello captain,” Phil said quietly.

“You have wings,” Jordan stated. Sure, it may have been a little rude, but he figured that the wings protruding from Phil’s back were _slightly_ more important than conversational formalities. 

“You can see them,” Phil replied, brow furrowing slightly.

“I- sort of?”

The wings were almost transparent, yet oddly blurry when Jordan tried to look at them straight on. At first glance they didn’t look particularly special by way of color or pattern, apart from the fact that they were _literal wings_ somehow fused to Phil’s back. Made up of light whitish-grey, delicate feathers akin to those of a mourning dove, they hung awkwardly as if holding some sort of unseen weight. Phil shifted uncomfortably as Jordan continued to stare, the feathers catching the light in an unnatural way, suddenly taking on a pearlescent sheen as a result of his movement. The latter blinked hard and a lightly tinted wave of purple rippled across the wings, a strange enchantment that almost muddled their appearance. 

“End magic,” Jordan blurted out, the realization hitting him like a brick. “How the _hell_ do you have an elytra?”

“Long story, but you’re quite used to those, aren’t you _captain?_ ” Phil asked, easily avoiding the question. 

Jordan narrowed his eyes. “That’s the second time you've called me that, but Dream didn’t introduce me as a captain if I’m recalling correctly.”

Phil met Jordan’s eyes with a piercing gaze of his own, an unspoken challenge hanging in the air. “Heroes deserve to be remembered, Jordan. Their names, their titles -the stories of legends shouldn’t go untold.”

“I’m no legend,” Jordan sighed, ducking his head and rubbing at his temple. “I’m a tired old man who never learned how to stop caring.”

“Cheers to the old man part, mate,” Phil chuckled, shaking his head. 

“But you know me, you know my _story,”_ Jordan persisted, refusing to let the matter slide. “How?”

Phil shrugged. “Everyone here does, they just don’t realize it. It’s a right shame though,” he added, voice trailing off as he got lost in thought. “I haven't told the story in such a long time…”

Jordan frowned but remained silent, sensing that Phil wasn't done speaking.

“Dream would have suspected who you were the instant you showed up,” he mused. “Maybe not believed it - that boy lets common sense and logic get in the way too much of his less rational instincts when it comes to fighting, his heart, but-"

“He knows,” Jordan broke in. “He’s known for a long time, I think.”

Phil nodded before his head cocked curiously. “Tubbo too.”

“Pardon?”

“He was always especially attached to the captain’s story, was always asking if it had a happy ending.”

“That -” Jordan’s chest tightened; his throat oddly closed up. “That tracks, I think, with the way magic works in your realm.”

“It has to do with the biases, right? Order, chaos, and balance?”

Jordan hummed in agreement. “Yeah, for sure. It’s much more muddled in this world but the gods’ influences are still everywhere. Tubbo is...very balance inclined, from what I’ve seen and uh, _felt._ Just out of curiosity, can anyone else see the wings?” he finished, gesturing to mirage-like wings wavering at Phil’s back.

“Just Dream, cap. It’s hard to keep secrets from him when he’s so closely tied to the world-man’s a fucking _demigod_. The wings are essentially useless in this realm but it’s just easier to keep them hidden, especially the End being the way it is.”

“What do you mean?” Jordan demanded, his voice dropping to a low timbre, a telltale purple fire beginning to burn in his eyes. Something instinctive had flared his chest at the mention of a threat to the End, and Phil felt the hairs on his arms rise as the temperature in the hallway seemed to drop ten degrees. 

“Don’t shoot the messenger, captain” Phil said gently, reaching out a hesitant hand to lightly squeeze his arm. Jordan muttered an apology and did his best to soften his gaze but still felt like he was wound tighter than a coil.

“The End strongholds and portals are unfindable, mate. We’ve found them before, a long while back actually, but never gone through. It’s one of the only rules Dream really enforces - no one allowed in the End - but now the portals are just gone. Vanished into thin fuckin’ air. Shit’s scuffed, cap. Something’s tampering with the very essence of the world, take that however you will.”

Jordan was silent for a moment, mulling over the new information. For a split second he wondered if it could have been Dream’s doing, but quickly dismissed the idea. As powerful as the demigod was, he wouldn’t be able to completely obstruct End travel. Darkness, however, was very much capable of doing that, especially given its history with Ianite.

“How do you know Drista and Dream?” Jordan asked rather abruptly, suddenly realizing that neither Phil nor the hunter had explained their relationship. “Dream disappeared for an entire day without telling anyone just to visit you for some advice, and based on that greeting in the hallway, I’m gonna assume you’re pretty close with Drista, too.”

“I came into the realm when it was new to help it get set up and shit,” Phil replied casually. “Helped Dream out a few times when other stuff’s come up too,” he added as they began to walk in the direction Dream and the others had taken.

“What does _other stuff_ entail?”

Phil bit the inside of his cheek and drew his brows together, looking slightly reluctant to answer him. “How much do you know about Wilbur?” Phil asked, voice coming out somewhat strained.

“He’s definitely an interesting person,” Jordan began cautiously, trying to gauge Phil’s reaction. “Dream told me about the original war for L’Manburg’s independence, from that I gathered he’s someone who can be very...passionate for their cause.”

“You’ve got that much right,” Phil muttered.

“I met him a while back,” Jordan supplemented, deciding that honesty was the best approach. “He was decidedly suspicious of my presence in the smp, which I can’t say I blame him for. Other than that, he was a little...unhinged, for lack of a better word.”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“I dunno what else to tell you, man. He kept going back and forth on his opinion on Techno but was pretty adamant on blowing up L’Manburg.”

“Back and forth on Techno,” Phil repeated quietly as they continued down the hallway, an almost _wistful_ taking over his expression. “He and Wil used to be so close…”

The two lapsed into silence as they made their way through the safehouse, footsteps echoing down the long stone hallways as each man mulled over their conversation. 

“Was Dream with you when you met with Wil?”  
  
Jordan blinked. “He accompanied Tommy, Tubbo, and I to Pogtopia but no, he wasn’t there for the actual meeting.”

“Figures.”

“Phil,” Jordan sighed as they approached the infirmary, muffled voices incomprehensible from behind the closed door. “I know we’re practically strangers, but is there something I need to know about you, Wilbur, and Dream?”

Phil avoided his eyes and pushed open the door, an onslaught of noise suddenly meeting their ears. “That’s a question for Dream to answer, mate.”

“What’s the question we’re talking about?” the hunter asked brightly, coming over to Jordan and Phil from where he’d been chatting with Sapnap.

“Later,” Phil cut him off with a warning look. 

Dream cocked his head curiously but shrugged. “Okay then. Almost everyone is awake so we should be good to meet soon and... talk over things. I think that -” A loud crash from the back corner of the room interrupted Dream. 

“DRISTA, WATCH WHERE YOU THROW THAT THING YOU FUCKIN’ DICK’EAD!”

The hunter merely sighed and pressed two fingers into each of his temples.

“That’ll be Tommy and Drista. Gods, why Techno gave her that fucking trident…” he paused, exhaling slowly. “I’m going to go find whatever the hell they just broke. Techno and Tubbo have breakfast set up on those beds over there,” Dream said, gesturing to their left. “Feel free to help yourself and grab Sapnap while you’re at it - I don’t think he’s eaten yet.”

Phil and Jordan nodded, sharing small smiles when Dream turned his back to them. Dealing with two teenagers didn’t sound particularly appealing this early in the morning, so the duo gratefully left Dream to handle the troublemakers and made their way over to where Techno, Tubbo, and Sapnap were lingering at the makeshift breakfast spread.

Dream slid a hand under his mask to pinch the bridge of his nose, letting himself have one more second of peace before all hell inevitably broke loose. Before he made his way to the back corner of the room, he sent a silent plea to whatever gods were out there - _someone give me the fucking grace to avoid murdering a child today, please and thank you._

The corner of the infirmary that Drista and Tommy occupied was home to a variety of brewing stands, potion bottles, and bookshelves. Under normal circumstances, books, bottles, and ingredients were organized alphabetically and by type to make the potion brewing process as efficient as possible. Now, however, paper and glass were strewn about with Tommy and Drista looking like they were having the time of their lives, whispering conspiratorially to one another. 

“Ay Drista,” Tommy said in a low voice, poking her in the side. “Is there a knife nearby?”

“No, but there's a _fork_ ,” she grinned, hand tightening around her trident, a devious glint in her eye behind her mask as she immediately caught on to what Tommy was planning.

“How - how easy would it be to-what's the uh- you know Dream’s _eyes_? How _vulnerable_ are they right now?”

“Oh, they’re out, for sure, they’re definitely there,” she responded, voice dropping to a whisper as Dream approached.

“What part of don't poke anyone’s eyes out _don't_ you understand?” Dream asked, exasperation tingeing every one of his words as he made it to the back of the room. Drista was quick to sling the trident onto her back as he approached, stance going on the defensive.

“Everyone’s eyes _are_ intact, genius,” Drista shot back, inching closer to Tommy. “You can piss off now, bye Dream!”

“Oh _come on,_ I’m not going to _piss off._ You guys literally just broke-why are you holding up the trident like you’re going to stab me?” he protested, a smile working its way into his voice against his better wishes.

“Dream, _Dream,”_ Tommy broke in. “Can you look Drista dead in the eyes and say operation fork is a go?”

“Operation fork is a go,” Dream repeated slowly, voice rising at the end in confusion and suddenly turning into a wheeze as Drista mimicked jabbing her trident at him.

“ _Stop,_ stop that’s not even funny, that’s not even funny. Now she’s looking at me weird- Tommy what the _fuck._ ”

His sister stayed silent, grinning devilishly.

“You're like moving the fork,” Dream laughed, “I - there's no reason - just put the fork, gimme the fork. I mean - trident - no, gimme the fork - _stop._ Give the fork - _fuck, trident_ \- stop clenching it!”

“Should I give it to him?” Drista asked, dancing just out of her brother’s reach.

“You should give it to his eyes _,”_ Tommy advised, ducking his head down when Phil glanced over towards the commotion they were creating.

“Uh, that's a bit far, Tommy,” she responded, also noting Jordan’s unimpressed raised eyebrow.

“Tell him you know where the fork is, tell him you know how to buy more forks. Drista, here’s what you do, _threaten his eyes_ ,” Tommy insisted.

“Why are you holding...stop, don't get the trident-STOP. STOP. STOP. DON'T HOLD-WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP,” Dream yelled, trying desperately to snatch the weapon from his sister who was jabbing at him point-blank while backing away.

Drista eventually made the mistake of backing into the wall of chests by the brewing area and Dream jumped at the chance to disarm her. In a flash, he struck and grabbed her hand that held the trident, then pushed her wrist in on itself until her grip broke. From there, he simply held the weapon far above her head and fumbled with the chests behind them, finally locking it in his own ender chest.

“Easyyyy,” Dream drawled with a smirk, stepping back as his chest heaved slightly while he caught his breath.

“You're like a freakishly tall giant that's not fair,” Drista complained, crossing her arms in a pout.

“Literally just grow.”

“Fuck off.”

“No you.”

Drista flipped him off but Dream merely laughed, easily dodging the lighthearted punch she threw his way. 

“Alright, show’s over guys,” the hunter said to the rest of the room, a sheepish grin visible beneath his mask as they all stared at him. 

“Grab some food if you haven’t yet and we’ll meet in that big room on the second floor in ten minutes, Drista can take you there. I’m gonna go wake up George.”

“Good luck with sleeping beauty,” Sapnap giggled. “He’s already mad at me for cutting our cuddles short this morning.”

Dream chuckled softly and turned to Jordan who had lazily raised two fingers to get the hunter’s attention

“Do you want me to go get…?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. _Spark._

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks,” Dream affirmed, ignoring the way Tubbo was curiously looking between the two. “If there aren’t any more questions, I’m gonna go now, see all of you in ten.”

The occupants of the room murmured their assent and Dream made his way out of the infirmary, letting out a heavy sigh as soon as the door closed behind him. _Bed sounded really nice right about now._

-

Compared to the rest of the safehouse, the meeting room was positively cozy. A long, low spruce table covered in various books and maps took up most of the space in the room, complimented nicely by an abundance of gently glowing lanterns and soft red carpet. The stone brick walls were broken up by several wide columns that encased overflowing bookshelves between them, collections of years and years of diaries, stories, and history. 

Dream stood at the head of the table; palms splayed against the dark wood as he physically braced himself for the conversation to come. Jordan was the only other person standing, leaning casually against a pillar, hand wrapped around the Bow of Balance. _Just in case._ A low rumble of voices filled the room as everyone chatted casually, waiting for _George_ to arrive so the meeting could start. In Dream’s opinion, it was a slightly infuriating and unnecessary delay, but he was reluctant to discuss such important topics without his having his hunters there as extra support.

“Good morning, Georgie,” Dream teased as the door opened and the brunette finally stumbled into the room, slumping into the seat across from Sapnap on Dream’s left side. The newly arrived hunter grumbled something incoherent under his breath and Dream rolled his eyes fondly as George let his head fall into his arms on the table. 

“You’d think _he’s_ the one who never sleeps around here,” Sapnap shook his head with a small grin. “Speaking of which Dream,” his voice got more serious, “You’re sleeping after this meeting whether you like it or not.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” the blonde muttered, gripping the table slightly harder than absolutely necessary to keep himself from swaying on his feet. “Don’t worry about me.” Sapnap raised an unimpressed eyebrow but didn’t comment any further on the issue. 

“Alright,” Dream said, raising his voice to be heard over the low rumble of voices that echoes through the room. “Now that we’re all here, I’d like to start by-”

“Hello? I’m sorry, is this the right room?” a soft voice interrupted. Dream’s eyes shot to the doorway where a short figure in a long, brown travelling cloak stood.

“Niki!” Tubbo shouted, practically beaming.

“Hi Tubbo! Sorry it took me so long to get here,” she apologized, pulling her hood off her head to reveal hair that was dark brown, save for two blonde pieces that framed her face. The rest of her outfit was practical and inconspicuous-a light tan top and brown cargo pants tucked into a pair of sturdy boots, her only accessory a thin gold chain that glinted around her neck. “Phil and Techno told me about the safehouse before they left...it took me a little while to make up my mind whether or not to come…”

“Nonono, no problem,” Dream reassured her. “You're fine, I’m glad you're here,” he said with a warm smile as Niki took a seat by Phil. “Oh, by the way - Niki, Jordan. Jordan, Niki.” The two exchanged small nods and smiles and the masked hunter figured it was time to start.

“Alright. Cool. Now that we’re all here…” Dream faltered, not entirely sure how he was going to broach so many topics. “I actually have one more person to introduce to all of you, uh-”

“Oh, the nice man in the hallway?” Niki broke in, cheeks turning slightly pink when everyone’s attention shifted towards her.

Dream blinked. “Yep, that’s the one.”

“I take it that this is my cue to make a grand appearance?” asked a warm voice from the open doorway. The figure who stood there had the same height and build as Jordan, looking nearly _identical_ to the captain if not for the streaks of grey in his hair and the bright green shades perched atop his nose. Unlike Jordan, he wore no armor, his only visible weapon a delicate rapier hanging at his side. There was something _otherworldly_ about him, maybe in the wrinkles that lined his face, maybe in the way he carried himself. His presence simply commanded everyone’s attention. 

“Everyone,” Dream hesitated, taking a long breath. “This is Admiral Spark Conway, husband of Lady Ianite, Goddess of Balance.”

For a moment the room was completely silent, the only noise the quiet crackling of the lanterns. Then it exploded.

“Ianite - like the ancient goddess from Phil’s stories?”

“ _The_ admiral? Which makes-”

“Does that mean-”

“Jordan is _the captain-”_

“The one from legends-”

“The champion of balance, here in our realm-”

“But does that mean for us and the war-”

Dream bit his lip as he took in the pandemonium, sending a pleading look from behind his mask towards Spark.

“Alright, alright everybody,” the admiral broke in, waving a hand. “I’ll be handing out autographs after the meeting - joking, joking of course,” he chuckled as Jordan shot him something akin to a death glare.

“ _Anyways_ ,” Dream broke in, trying to regain control of the chaos. “Jordan and Spark are here, they’re around if you want to pester them but we have more pressing stuff to get to. Um. So yeah, the legends are true - the heroes and magic and all that. But the other less desirable parts are too…” the masked hunter trailed off, fatigue causing his train of thoughts to trickle out of his mind like sand between figures. George shifted his head slightly and stretched an arm across the table atop Dream’s shaking hand, thumbing small circles over his knuckles.

“We all know about the war,” he started again, drawing strength from the soothing, repetitive pressure of George’s hand on his. “A lot of us have personally felt its effects, both physically _and_ mentally. At first, I thought it was just Schlatt being his usual power hungry self but...there's more to it. I'm not sure how to explain but-”

Jordan, who had been observing silently from his position against a pillar, stepped forward, earning him a grateful look from Dream.

“I’ll make this as simple as I can,” Jordan started, voice a low rumble. “Take evil and embody it. Call it Darkness. It’s more than man, more than god and only has one goal: destruction. I’ve fought against it before and it’s not pretty. It’s capable of possession, twisting the minds of good people into something ugly and unrecognizable. Darkness is in your realm and it’s the root of your problems.”

Everyone was silent, various looks of fear and horror adorning their faces as a man of literal legend explained to them the damning truth of their reality. Jordan seemed to realize the effect his words had on everybody and he tried to backtrack, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck.

“The admiral and I are here for a reason, on Ianite’s wishes,” he said in a softer voice. “There is…a way to beat Darkness. It’s less than tasteful but it _is_ possible. All hope isn’t lost yet.”

“I’m calling a meeting with Schlatt,” Dream broke in, refusing to let his voice waver. “In one weeks’ time, I’m going to give him one last chance to step down in public, in front of all of you. If he resists, which I'm sure he will, we fight. We’re going to get more support,” he continued, voice steely. 

“In these next few days, we'll have a sort of recon mission to a few people. Awesamdude has the resources to supply an entire army if I’m being completely honest. He’s far out but he’s guaranteed protection, he’ll fight with us. Tommy, Tubbo - I want you to come with. Anyone else is welcome to come of course, but you two are most important.”

The duo exchanged a look and nodded, allowing Dream to continue.

“There’s someone else, too,” he added hesitantly, gaze drifting towards Phil and Niki’s end of the table.

“Wilbur,” Phil said quietly, a faraway look in his eyes. “He’s going to be hard to convince.”

“I think,” Jordan added, “Darkness doesn't have a full grip on him. It's definitely there, that's why he seemed “off”, but I think...with the right people and the right explanation, we can talk him down.”

Dream nodded in agreement. “I think the more people we have with us for the visit the better - especially those closest to Wil. Phil, Techno, Tommy, Tubbo, _Niki_ \- all of you are important for this trip.”

“And what about you, Dream?” Drista interrupted, cocking her head. “Last time you met with Wilbur you gave him enough tnt to _raze_ L’Manburg.”

“I - uh there’s stuff we have to discuss, later, of course - I um,” Dream stuttered, right hand tapping nervously against the table. Sapnap looked up at him, gaze laced with concern, and reached out a hand, gently pressing Dream’s hand flat against the table.

“Breathe, Dream,” George reminded him, voice soft. Dream exhaled.

“I have to be there too, Drista. It’ll be fine.” The tone of his voice left no room for argument.

“I'm certain that we can win this war, but the real goal is to win with no casualties,”

“Dream, mate, I want to be just as optimistic as you but that sounds bloody impossible,” Tommy said biting his lip, his serious demeanor not quite hiding the concern in his eyes.

Dream hesitated. “It’s...there's a way…”

“What are you talking about?” Tubbo asked innocently, looking just as curious as usual.

“ _Clay,”_ Drista interrupted, voice low in warning. _Are you sure you want to do this?_

Dream looked around the room, twisting one of his rings as he took in the faces of each and every one of his friends. Some were more hopeful than others, some were pinched with stress and worry. But all of them were directed towards him, looking to _him_ for guidance and direction. _I can still protect them._

He pushed his mask to the side.

It felt like plunging into the lake again, stripping away everything that concealed his secrets, leaving his honest self raw and exposed to the world. Cold water was sliding over his skin, harsh breaths forced out of his burning lungs. Being a demigod was part of his truth, but so was being human. That was the part they needed to see.

“I’m the guardian of this server,” he began, power and intent dripping from every word. “Overworld, Nether, and End. With that comes some other...abilities - things to ensure the safety of the realm. I’m sure most of you know about the world and resource manipulation, and nothing is without limitations but, to a certain extent...I have control over life and death.”

The room went completely silent, trying to connect _Dream_ the elite masked hunter with _Dream_ the literal god with _Dream_ the unmasked twenty something standing in front of them. Maybe they could see a hint of the universe, of constellations in the spattering of freckles that spanned his features. Maybe they could see the vibrancy of life in his light green eyes, of the control he held over merely _being_. Maybe it was the thin, silver scar that bridged his nose that reminded them of his imperfect, yet beloved human nature. He was human. He was god. He was _Dream._

George and Sapnap gripped Dream’s hands a little tighter, the pressure helping to keep him grounded, keep him speaking.

“It’s a contingency plan, something to fall back on if things ever go completely south. I don't ever want to use it in this war, I don’t want to rely on it. I shouldn't have to. But it's only fair for you all to know because...it’s not just my life on the line, it’s all of ours.” Dream took a deep breath, the other hunters’ grips on his hands tightening imperceptibly.

“I... messed up. I haven't done a good enough job of keeping this place safe and united and protected but,” he spilled out, stumbling slightly over his words. “This can help, and all of you deserve to know about it.”

“So you’re telling me when Henry died you could have brought him back, but you didn't? You’re a right dick’ead, Dream, y’know that? You’re even worse than that, I reckon. You’re one of those _wronguns_.” 

Tommy’s comment was exactly what was needed to break the tension in the room, and everyone dissolved into almost hysterical laughter. Between his own bouts of loud, wheezing laughs, Dream made eye contact with Tommy, mouthing a quick but grateful _thank you_ to the teen. Tommy gave him a sharp nod looking all too smug with himself for a moment before grinning and dissolving into laughter once more.

“Anyway, anyway,” Dream gasped, wiping a tear from his eye from laughing too hard, “We can move onto some actual battle stuff…”

With introductions and significant disclosures of information out of the way, Spark was happy to fade into the background and simply take in the scene as Dream began to go over battle strategies more in depth. The hunter’s brain moved faster than his mouth could choke out his ideas, words spilling out not quite coherently as he moved forward with a plan only to backtrack and correct himself with a more optimal solution. His green eyes darted back and forth as he analyzed maps no one else could see – battles and strategies, wins and losses playing out all at once. The admiral could almost _see_ the Dream grabbing the best of the best from each scenario dancing through his mind, cherry picking victories wherever they appear, minimizing losses wherever possible.

He was a maelstrom - chaotic and terrifying in its unpredictable yet assured destruction. Good enough was never enough it seemed; the hunter refused to settle for any strategy that was less than perfect. Dream had spirit, Spark had to admit, something the war hadn’t yet managed to stamp out of him. The admiral knew what the hunter was feeling all too well, the weight of the world in every stolen breath, in every desperate arrow nocked and sword swung. 

Dream’s entire entity screamed resistance, wrapping protectively around him like a second skin. Defiance made itself at home in broad shoulders and piercing gazes, impatient tapping fingers and harshly articulated words. Dream had a cause that he believed in, a side that he was so true to that the mere thought of giving up is an impossibility. Spark had a cause once too. He’d fought like hell for it, tooth and nail. He knew Dream would do the same.

The kid was smart, but most of all, he cared. Maybe too much. It was terrifying.

The captain, on the other hand, had stepped back, physically removing himself from the planning at hand. He stood shorter than most of the other people in the room, but his stance was nothing less than _dangerous_. His feet were planted shoulder width apart, hand casually wrapped around his bow as he listened to the room discussing their plans. His eyelids were half closed and he leaned against the wall, looking absurdly comfortable in his full suit of netherite. Jordan wore the carefully crafted visage of relaxation with ease, but the sheer intensity of the captain's aura eliminated any suggestion that this man wasn’t a threat. 

Spark knew that the captain was on high alert, knew that the second an enemy appeared, the unfortunate soul would find an arrow between their eyes and Jordan would have that same damn look of indifference as he reaches behind him to restring another arrow. The captain was an experienced warrior through and through, and his very presence didn’t let anyone forget the fact.

Dream’s green eyes danced like a forest fire as he gestured animatedly, burning bright and unrestrained. The captains were different. They held a curious glint in their dark brown depths, one that bordered on cold and unforgiving. He kept a face of indifference, sharp and calculating. Where Dream was outgoing and expressive, mask no longer concealing his features, the captain was quiet and stoic in his musings. His eyebrow twitched up from time to time as the hunter continued outlining his plans, brows furrowing when analyzing a new tactic, offering a sharp nod of his chin when he found something particularly agreeable. Dream had the spirit of an elite and experienced soldier, steadfast in his plans and sure of his skills, passionate for his cause. 

The captain’s vigor was more reserved, but purple fire still burned bright in his eyes, roaring yet controlled. Jordan was a man who had seen more battles than anyone in the room, experienced war and loss to an extent that rivaled only the admiral’s experiences. The captain knows intimately what war was like, but he’d resolved himself to this fight. He was an invaluable pillar of strength, a literal legend walking among men.

Jordan looked up suddenly from the plans littering the tables and made eye contact with Spark from across the room. The corner of his mouth twisted up in a half smile and he raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Dream, who still had the rest of the room enraptured. Spark felt a smile of his own creep onto his face and gave Jordan a small nod in return. _Dream had it under control._

-

Hours later, the meeting was finally winding down with details of the recon missions and battle strategies finalized. Dream was absolutely dead on his feet, almost falling over when Drista had playfully jostled his shoulder. That’s when Sapnap decided to take authority and call it a day, throwing one of Dream’s arms around his shoulder.

“Make sure he actually sleeps, yeah?” Jordan prompted the hunters, both of which nodded.

“Trust me cap, if he tries anything, Gogy and I know exactly how to tire him out,” Sapnap assured him with a suggestive smile. 

_“Sapnap!”_ George exclaimed, punching him in the shoulder as Dream rolled his eyes and the rest of the room dissolved into laughter for a second time that day.

“What does that mean, Sapnap?” Tommy asked, knowing _exactly_ what the hunter was implying. “Why is everyone laughing?”

His question only made people laugh even harder. “Honestly, I don’t know why I even ask, you people never answer my questions...” the teen trailed off muttering, words becoming incomprehensible. 

George moved to support Dream’s other side, the blonde swaying dangerously as his eyelids threatened to droop lower and lower.

“We’ll see all of you tomorrow,” the brunette called over his shoulder as he and Sapnap practically dragged Dream out of the room. They guided him downstairs and into one of the larger bedrooms, helping him get out of his netherite armor while he blearily looked around the room. 

“I call being big spoon,” Sapnap grinned, guiding Dream to the bed where he promptly collapsed.

“You’re such an idiot,” George rolled his eyes with a fond smile he couldn’t suppress, but he joined the impromptu cuddle pile, back pressed up against Dream’s chest, effectively sandwiching the blonde between him and Sapnap.

Dream was quick to fall asleep, wrapped in warmth and having purposely eluded sleep for weeks on end.

When he opened his eyes, he couldn’t see. _I’m not awake_ he realized immediately, raising a tentative hand to his face. His fingertips traced over his mask, catching on the grooves of the crudely drawn smiley face, smooth porcelain cool to his touch. In the waking world, the mask didn’t affect his vision, a special enchantment allowing him to see through it without hindrance. In this strange dreamland, it blocked everything. All he knew was Darkness. _That won’t do._

He pulled the mask off.

Almost immediately his ears were assaulted by a low, rasping voice. It sounded like his worst fears forced into the shape of sound, an unnerving crooning voice that preyed on every one of his doubts and insecurities.

Dream opened his eyes to a world of grey. Arcs of light and dark occasionally shot through his surroundings, sending the murky swaths of grey into a frenzy.

_You’re not supposed to have power here, godling._

_You’re not supposed to be in my realm_ Dream thought, ignoring the sharp pain he immediately felt coursing through his mind.

 _Destruction has a place everywhere, little hero. Humans simply have a hard time coming to terms with it. Such a shame_ the voice continued to croon, enveloping all of his senses. _We could do great things together with your godhood, if not for your infuriating, useless humanity._

Dream remained silent, not trusting himself to not lash out. 

_You let yourself get caught up with silly human emotions, boy, what counts as right or wrong. Love makes you weak. Hate, however, can be channeled into something more, something spectacular._

Dream still said nothing. Darkness tried another approach.

_Love will get you nowhere. Love will not save your friends from me. When they’re lying dead at your feet, where will you be? Weak, alone, and in pain. Love will be your downfall, little hero._

Dream couldn’t stay silent any longer.

_To be human is to love and that’s not a fucking weakness. You have no power over me, Darkness. I’m done here._

Dream woke up.

Sapnap and George were staring at him strangely, a mixture of awe and concern.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked, voice raspy from sleep.

“You were yelling, dude,” Sapnap answered, voice barely louder than a whisper.

“Burning up too,” George added, brows pinched together. “Like you started _glowing._ ”

Dream hummed, seemingly unimpressed. Nothing felt particularly real and his warm pillows and blankets seemed infinitely more appealing than the current conversation.

“What were you dreaming about?” Sapnap asked gently.

Dream laid back down, words muffled by the soft sheets. “Darkness. Was threatening me or something, I dunno. You guys too. I told it to fuck off.”

George and Sapnap exchanged a look, agreeing that they wouldn’t be getting a coherent conversation from Dream in this state.

“Anything else you want to tell us?” George asked, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as curled back up against Dream’s chest.

“I don't want you guys to get hurt,” he mumbled, face squashed into a pillow.

“We don’t want you to get hurt either,” Sapnap murmured, pulling him in closer.

“Go to sleep, Dream. We’ll be here in the morning, like always,” George confirmed in an equally soft voice, shifting a little to get more comfortable.

Dream mumbled something that sounded like _love you guys_ under his breath, already falling back into the comforting embrace of rest.

For the first time in weeks, Dream slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahaha hi. school busy. standards too high. sorry for late updates lol. if part of this seems familiar it should be. this is the chapter starring the drabble that kickstarted this entire work, check it out if u want. it's pretty neat. shoutout to the bestest wives ever for the help and harassment with writing this. if ur still reading this fic god damn i love you and also this chapter. enjoy <3

**Author's Note:**

> the interactions with the rest of the smp are coming I promise, and uh shoutout to vav for inspiring me to write again ily


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